Impermanence
***1/2
Upon its debut in 2021, Rafael Bonachela’s Impermanence was roundly praised as one of the most significant new Australian dance works in years. You can see why. This is a big, ambitious work set to captivating music.
Initially inspired by the burning of Notre Dame in April 2019, Bonachela was further influenced by the Black Summer bushfires that razed large swathes of eastern Australia in 2019-20.
The notion of impermanence is clearly evident in this show’s DNA, with the dancers forming, parting and re-forming in seemingly endless configurations throughout the show. Nothing stays the same for more than a moment.
Musically, it’s wonderful. Bryce Dessner has fashioned a poignant, beautiful soundtrack for the dancers. The flickering aspects of Damien Cooper’s lighting add to the sense of impermanence, reinforcing the theme.
The Australian String Quartet (ASQ) was fantastic on opening night, richly deserving the rapturous reception they received at the end. After the first few shows, they’ll be replaced by the emerging Partridge String Quartet. If the buzz around the latter is any indication, they should live up to the high bar set by the ASQ.
While Impermanence is a powerful and significant work, it would benefit from some distillation. In its latter stages, it does tend to drag on and repeat itself.
The inclusion of Anohni’s Another World towards the end also threatens to tip the production into overkill.
But, overall, this is an affecting work, performed by dancers at the height of their powers, inspiring powerful emotions and a strong sense of the ephemeral.
Love Lock
*****
Sometimes a concert dance comes along that stuns, inspires and provokes. Love Lock, by Australian-Indonesian choreographer and performer Melanie Lane, is a good example.
Billed as a ‘reimagined folk-dance of the future’, it’s a work that juxtaposes diverse concepts and cultures, echoing Lane’s own background.
Love Lock is a stunning exposition of colour, movement and music. With avant-garde costumes by renowned designer Akira Isogawa, an urgent and exciting score by British electronic musician Christopher Stephen Clark (who performs under the mononym Clark) and Lane’s tribal, compelling choreography, this is one wild ride.
It feels like a real-life manifestation of an extended music video – from the height of the music video era, not the cheap, scaled back videos of today.
At the same time, while the imperial phase of the music video has passed, Love Lock feels exceedingly contemporary. In fact, it feels like a glimpse into the future. You just can’t look away.
An unusual aspect of this performance is that the dancers add their own vocalisations to the show, bolstering the soundtrack devised by Clark. This could be naff – even a bit embarrassing – but it works perfectly here.
Read: Theatre review: Golden Blood, Wharf Theatre
Inspired by pop love songs, there’s a lot to love about Love Lock. It only goes for a touch over 20 minutes – but even on its own, if presented without Impermanence, it would be worth the price of the ticket.
Twofold by Sydney Dance Company
Roslyn Packer Theatre
Artistic Director: Rafael Bonachela
Impermanence
Choreographer: Rafael Bonachela
Composer: Bryce Dessner
Music co-commissioner: Australian String Quartet
Music performers: Australian String Quartet, Partridge String Quartet
Music feature: Another World by Anohni
Lighting design: Damien Cooper
Stage design: David Fleischer
Costume design: Aleisa Jelbart
Love Lock
Choreographer: Melanie Lane
Composer: Clark
Lighting and set designer: Damien Cooper
Costume designer: Akira Isogawa
Tickets: $45-$105
Twofold will be performed until 28 September 2024.
