The work starts with words about the way the human mind learns to see, to filter the onslaught of sensory information and create a sense of order, perspective and self. This is the driving idea behind the show and is interpreted in a number of exciting ways.
Throughout Proximity, dances are captured by video cameras and played in real time behind the performers. This means that at any given moment, the audience is watching from two totally different angles, effectively watching two different dances being performed at once. Added to this altered perspective, the video version incorporates a variety of effects. Sometimes these appear as nets or balls of energy, highlighting the connection between movements or dancers. More common, though, are different versions of image capturing. The video will play images together by keeping still shots on screen while also playing the live feed. In this way, echoes of the dance stay on stage for a long time, hanging on the screen behind the live performer or even interacting with the live steps so that people end up dancing with themselves. Not satisfied with one cool effect, Stewart and Pachoud use the video perspectives and effects in radically different ways throughout the piece. However, this is always done with control and purpose, maintaining a strong connection to Proximity’s key themes.
There are moments of pure dance when the video disappears entirely. Best are the beautiful group choreography pieces where all eight dancers become one interconnected whole. Actions and reactions flow through the ensemble like flashes in a school of fish. There is great variety in the styles of movement, from soft to mechanical, menacing to child-like. The dancers show great expressive range and versatility.
A beautiful balance is achieved between the live dance and the video. The focus shifts from one to the other depending on which angle is most intriguing and no two audience members see the same show. Proximity is not a technological gimmick. Instead, modern and old are mixed together and turned into something utterly new.
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
Australian Dance Theatre present
Proximity
Choreographer: Garry Stewart
Video artist and engineer: Thomas Pachoud
Composer: Huey Benjamin
Lighting: Mark Pennington
Her Majesty’s Theatre, Adelaide February 24 – March 3
Adelaide Festival
March 2 – 18
www.adelaidefestival.com.au
