There is a reason that Stephanie Lake is my favourite choreographer. In short, she is eternally creative in the work she produces. Her striking visual aesthetic elevates the art form. Fluid body movement is just the starting point. Beyond that, the key is the combination of formations she can extract from her dancers. That, together…
The combination of the new and the old is intoxicating in The Australian Ballet’s double bill Etudes/Circle Electric. Up first is Circle Electric, which combines modern dance, ballet, sound and light to create a maelstrom of movement, majestic and, at times, harried. I was totally sold on choreographer Stephanie Lake’s first full length commission for…
Eighteen dynamos of dance and drums dazzle and delight at Arts Centre Melbourne. They are truly mesmerising in an energetic display of artistic brilliance. Let me set the scene. The curtain goes up to reveal two tiers. At ground level are nine dancers seated, ostensibly dressed in white with black highlights and taupe-coloured socks. Behind them, on a higher plane,…
As children, what do we fear the most? That the boogie man will get us. It is from that dark place that Monsters comes. It is all about the fear of the dark and the perception of visions in the blackness. It is a scary tale writ large. Monsters starts with acclaimed actor Alison Whyte wandering out in front…
