2 ONE ANOTHER

Choreographer Rafael Bonachela teamed up four years ago with festival and party event designer Tony Assness to create his first full-length work for the Sydney Dance Company, and called it 360°. Just months later he was appointed the SDC’s artistic director. Obviously a winning partnership, now he’s back with Assness staging a dance spectacle that promises to explore the dynamic of couples, trio and crowds.

Sixteen handsome dancers, in tight green outfits big zippered up behind, stride in straight lines or group separately against a huge pixel screen shooting with light and falling stars. At his best, Bonachela’s big ensemble work has a kinetic thrill to match the choreography of giants like William Forsythe. The beautiful score from Nick Wales, alternating Baroque, choral and pacy synthesiser, helps drive this fine group work.

Wales’ music also offers a quiet inspiration but Bonachela is less interesting in his introspection of couples or smaller groups. Sydney dance audiences have recently experienced some compelling works on crowd and individual behaviour, such as Gideon Obarzanek’s Assembly and the deeply moving Babel for the Sydney Festival.

Bonachela has no interest in the sort of narrative or individual characterisation beloved by his predecessor Graeme Murphy; he’s more pure dance. And here his skills for spectacle and stage show climax are expertly realised, and sensationally framed by Assness, but the intimate moments remain quirky signatures of choreography rather than emotionally engaging.