Guest Reviewer Kym Vaitiekus Shares His Thoughts On BIG DANCE 2.0

Thursday 12th October 2023, 7:30, Lennox Theatre, Riverside Parramatta

Guest Reviewer Kym Vaitiekus shares his thoughts on BIG DANCE 2.0 by Dance Makers Collective, presented by FORM Dance Projects and Riverside Theatres.

Dance Makers Collective celebrate their ten-year anniversary with BIG DANCE 2.0. 

An evening of bite sized dance work that delves into many issues of the day. 

These creatives are on the leading edge of contemporary dance. 

I haven’t been this excited about dance since seeing Julidans in Amsterdam. 

Nine dancers, MADELEINE BACKEN , JANA CASTILLO , MITCHELL CHRISTIE,  LIZA COOPER, AMY FLANNERY, EMMA HARRISON, JYE UREN , ASHLEIGH VEITCH, ELLA WATSON-HEATH present nine works that are conceived by eight of those performers. 

First up, Harrison choreographs FEVER DREAM. Grabbing a lyric line from popular songs this party of dancers jolt from moments of stillness to feverish fantasy.  Using eclectic moves and shower style singing voices this piece is an engaging visual feast that excites, surprises and is wonderfully playful. 

Next is SNAKE BATTLE by Cooper. This work begins with a whimsical land comical look on the world of melodramatic wrestling. The piece evolves into an exploration of the feminine in a man’s world and a look into one’s own masculinity. This is a strong and brave work by Cooper.

RERUN is choreography by Veitch. She performs with Backen along with four cameras. Those visions are projected onto the giant backdrop screen. The lenses peer at the performers from all angles. Using delicate music that syncs with the movement, we see visions of our repetitive lives. This piece is meditative, edgy and introspective. There is always a delay of action when cameras are used in a live performance. This work uses this limitation of technology with great effect. 

Jye Uren choreographs FLUX. The lead is surrounded by piles of clothes. They excitedly try on various items. While two authoritative characters in white attire order this joyous individual to disrobe as if they are not permitted to continue.  This work explores how we are affected by masculine and feminine energies. 

Jana Castillo has extraordinary body movement. Their work, A SAUCY ROMANCE Parts 1 & 2, is a comical look at how our perspectives change when dealing with others and our relationships with them. Castillo’s Choreography is emotive and inspired, it’s literal yet dynamic and fresh. A choreographer and performer to watch out for.

ORANGE GAZING is the work of Amy Flannery. Three dancers individually perform their relationship to the oranges. The three scenes have quite different approaches to dance theatre. This work is whimsical, cheeky and curious. 

Another highlight of the night is Ella Watson-Heath's CAT-AND-MOUSE. ‘Two aliens and some doomsday preppers walk into a dystopian hellscape’. This work truly understands the language of dance. It creates the perfect mis en scene of a Orwellian world.  

The evening concludes with TRACKWORK. Choreographer Mitchell Christie using a large cast all clad in black and with more traditional contemporary moves creates a piece that’s form mixed with chaos. 

Kudos goes to Lighting Designer Benjamin Brockman. His work is astounding. Perfectly fitting each piece, his expert work is dynamic, creative, inventive and a visual feast.  

The evening concluded with videos and speeches about the DMC, it’s aim and current situation. 

DMC is the only collective led dance organization in Australia.

Their vision: “To Transform people and communities through dance” 

‘DMC is a pioneer in dance making in Australia, having since its inception presented 17 dance productions, in theatres, town halls, galleries, parks, street corners, balconies, on YouTube and Instagram, in cities and regional towns in almost every Australian state and territory.’ 

As a collective, DMC relies on community support. There are many arts organizations looking for donations, I can assure you that Dance Makers Collective leads the pack in dynamic new work that pushes the boundaries in both content and form, I encourage you to be part of this important art form: 

Building Dance Communities | Dance Makers Collective (Powered by Donorbox) 

Photo @ Nat Cartney

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