Through a tumultuous funding kick in the guts, with Pari Passu – Touch Leigh Warren and his dancers have emerged no doubt much the wiser but thankfully no less accomplished, inventive and exciting.
Pari Passu is structured into three segments. The first, ‘random’, makes merry use of Mary Moore’s stage and video screen. It is a touch and movement sensitive slightly curved barrier in two pieces that, sitting backward of centre stage, is seemingly charged by the gyrations of the dancers on both its sides, sometimes translating them into three dimensional bulges and hollows, then transmitting the movement down and along its own face as waves.
‘Tangled’ sees the dancers pair (Tim Farrar with Lisa Griffiths and Bec Jones with Jesse Martin) and take turns to delight on the white circular stage, working each other with great grace and precision.
The last stanza, ‘synchronic’, sees all four working together in harmony as the screen plays a blue swirling type of whirlpool and Adam Synnott’s quadraphonically projected musical score continues to both guide and lift the whole effect.
However, for all its technological elements, Pari Passu – Touch is a remarkably minimalist presentation, ensuring audience members’ attentions are drawn to the synthesis of the whole and, of course, the quality of the dancing. The concept of the pari passu portion of the title being ‘on equal footing’ between the male and female is well made and the three movements roll out seamlessly. The synergy between the three main creative elements (Warren, Moore and Synnott) is remarkable.
A highly creative work that brilliantly works its various elements together without ever confusing just exactly what audience members have actually come to see. Another dance gem for Adelaide in this month of May.
To see LWD’s behind the scenee video for Pari Passu Click Here
For more on the dancers you should also visit these two video links – Link 1 and Link 2, again from LWD.
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