By Julia Loipersberger
Remnants found in you – presented by Remnant Dance – Nexus Cabaret– 19-21 February 2013
A collective of professional dancers, Remnant Dance has created a showcase of three vignettes displaying the talents of choreographers Katie Chown, Juanita Jelleyman and Lucinda Coleman in the performance of Remnants found in you, which is sponsored by the Western Australian Department of Culture and the Arts.
Highlighting the fluidity of life and the interplay of personalities and individuals, Katie Chown’s ‘O’Sea’ kicks off the performance superbly and emotively, and it is very easy to get sucked into the maelstrom of the ocean. However, the exuberant smiles of a number of the performers seemed distinctly at odds with the general atmosphere created on stage. Similarly, the confines of the Nexus Cabaret meant that the breathing of the dancers was somewhat jarring and distracted slightly from the atmosphere.
Juanita Jelleyman’s ‘Shade:less’ is similarly mesmerising and extremely evocative, with very impressive performances from Ellen Avery, Katie Chown and Esther van Baren. The only slight negative is that there is a fair amount of floorwork, meaning that audience members who are seated towards the back of the theatre are somewhat disadvantaged if they cannot see. Otherwise this is a breath-taking and glorious segment.
Finally, Lucinda Coleman’s ‘Spring’ suggests a conversation between four dancers from different generations. I must admit that this performance was a little disjointed for me, and the original music – although beautiful – seemed at odds with the dance and movement. Overall, this was a slightly lower point on which to end the performance, although still marvellously executed by the dancers.
The dancers who collaborate with Remnant Dance are clearly highly skilled in their art, and present a riveting and beautifully conceived show. However, as with most modern dance, this is a fairly abstract performance and requires concentration and intentional engagement. Nonetheless, for me a slightly experimental and certainly unusual collaboration between artists of this calibre sums up exactly what the Fringe is about. I recommend getting along to see this show.
Kryztoff Rating 3.5K
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