Spectra at Sydney Festival. Photograph by Prudence Upton.
If you like extraordinary contemporary dance combined with Butoh this mesmerising production is for you. As part of the Sydney Festival, Spectra is a glorious collaboration between Australia’s Dancenorth (from Townsville) and Japan’s Batik dance collective fuses contemporary dance, live music and digital sculpture. Buddhism is central to Spectra, examining the philosophy which states that the secret of the universe lies in the nature of causality – the way one thing leads to another. Spectra examines how all things that come into being – whether it be a galaxy, a thought or a human being – depend on an endless linking chain of preceding causes and conditions. Spectra concentrates on the beauty hidden in the concept of causality. The dancers seek to highlight the power that resides in intentional action and the way this power is seen in progressive outcomes.
Spectra is luminous and breathtaking. Kyle Page and Amber Haines’ very demanding choreography seamlessly blends contemporary dance, Butoh, hip-hop, break-dancing and also includes possible flashes of allusions to Cloudgate Dance Theatre (and perhaps Matts Ek and Pina Bausch). The sensational cast are amazingly controlled yet fluid and energetic and at times seem boneless.
When we enter, there are five lines fanning out stretched across the stage that look perhaps like extra large strings for a giant violin. These are snaked, twisted, rippled and almost used as a skipping rope at various points in the production. The live music accompaniment is a crucial part of the performance as well. Talented guitarist, Jiro Matsumoto has had a long collaboration with live art and is a composer as well as set designer and director.
Niklas Pajanti has surrounded the dance floor with lights, and brings to life evocative backgrounds which set the scene for the universality of the themes in at times wonderful pin-pointed starry lights or for example golden washes and the uses of haze. Set design for this performance is by Tatsuo Miyajima (who has the Connect with Everything exhibition wowing audiences at the Museum of Contemporary Art) which also closely follows the principles of causality.
At times the dancers were slow and ritualistic, at others their movements were like manipulated puppets. Sometimes they appeared like sandstorms or tigers. There is one section with the cast all in a line and they perform sinuous machine like linked rippling arm movements. At another point they are like birds with soft jumps and arms. Rolling floorwork and pulsating sculptural ensemble work is also included. Josh Mu’s slinky rippling opening solo, though to a percussive duet for two women, Amber Haines’ mesmerising segment exploring momentum, a lyrical yet remote golden lit duo are also inspiring.
This collaboration combines physicality with great sensitivity and movement. Spectra is powerful and hypnotic, leaving you awed and stunned.
Rating: 4 1/2 stars out of 5
Spectra as part of the Sydney Festival is at the Seymour Centre 11-15 January
Direction / Choreography: Kyle Page & Amber Haines
Set Design: Tatsuo Miyajima
Live music: Jiro Matsumoto
Lighting Designer: Niklas Pajanti
Concept: Kyle Page
Direction: Kyle Page and Amber Haines
Choreography: Amber Haines, Alisdair Macindoe, Josh Mu, Mamiko Oe, Kyle Page and Rie Teranishi
Set Design: Tatsuo Miyajima
Costume design: Fiona Todd
Lighting design: Niklas Pajanti
Sound composition/live musician: Jiro Matsumoto
