That’s Two Thank You, the inaugural two-week dance festival, celebrates the art of the duet. These are some of the acts under its scope.
The Dataset
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This futuristic piece, created by Australian Dance Party (ACT), immerses the audience in a technological, data-driven space from the second they take their seats. Everything from the voiceover to the lights anticipates the future. The performance is expressed through patterns from the light pole array and moved along to repeated sounds, all growing in intensity throughout the night.
The dancers are guided and controlled by the voiceover and capture the overstimulation brought about by the external expectations placed on them. Their dance reflects the pressures placed on humans in society that influence all aspects of their lives.
From daily habits to salary, everything is controlled, pushing the dancers to fit in. The constant struggle of changing and improving oneself is displayed in the dancers’ movements that gradually increase in speed. The synchronised dancing highlights the battle to keep up with those around you.
When static occurs and the system fails, the dancers are left to their own devices. It can be difficult to do things individually and this fear and uncertainty are displayed by the dancers’ need for physical closeness. Eventually, they are able to find their way in the world on their own terms, restarting their life with audience collaboration – an interesting and thought-provoking choice.
The Dataset
Concept/Choreographers/Performers: Alison Plevey, Sara Black
Understudy/Outside eye: Max Burgess
Sound Designer: Sia Ahmad
Lighting Designer/Visuals: Jordan Hodge
Common Place
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This intoxicating and moving piece, created by Omer Backley-Astrachan and Jana Castillo, is about connecting through a rite, a ritual and a celebration. It follows along the journey of two individuals holding each other up when the other falls.
This duo is interconnected throughout the entirety of the dance, maintaining strong eye contact from the very start. Their journey will prove challenging, but they effortlessly capture the emotional intensity of the piece. Wearing slightly dishevelled clothing, they show the bravery needed to overcome hardship.
There are many captivating parts throughout, one in particular showcases the pair acting like magnets, drawn towards each other.
The nature of their relationship is at the forefront of this performance, with the piece exploring whether their connection is strong enough – you see them fighting and breaking up as well as celebrating.
At certain points in the dance, music isn’t even necessary, their synchronised bare feet against the hard floor is enough to create the beat, and they consistently stay in rhythm.
Common Place
Choreography and Performance: Omer Backley-Astrachan, Jana Castillo
Artistic Advisers: Anton, Linda Gamblin
Additional Collaborators: Hugo Poulet, Remy Rochester
Lighting Designer and Production Manager: Frankie Clarke
Composer: James Hazel
Costumes: Aleisa Jelbart
Twobytwo
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Twobytwo was created by Lucky Lartey and Daniel Navarro Lorenzo and features two distinct dances with different people and approaches. The first dance Exoticism is more experimental, with props and other movements exploring contemporary masculinity. The second, Orígenes is more traditional in expression with its themes of humans’ fading connection with the planet.
The poses in Exoticism are projected upon a backdrop that further enhances these statue-like figures. Long elegant movements, with some acrobatic movements, are used to explore femininity.
Read: Book review: Unsettled, Kate Grenville
In Orígenes, the duo captures the interconnected spirit of humans being one with nature despite their fading bond. Elements of wind and leave are added to the piece to emphasise the force of nature.
Twobytwo
Exoticism
Choreographer: Lucky Lartey
Performers: Lucky Lartey, Vincent Garcia
Dramaturg: Martin Del Amo
Orígenes
Choreography: Daniel Navarro Lorenzo
Performers: Daniel Navarro Lorenzo, AUSTI Dance and Physical Theatre
Daniel Navarro Lorenzo Sammantha Yue, Adrian Blezien Pérez
That’s Two Thank You will be performed at Riverside Theatres until 5 April 2025.
