After the season was postponed earlier in the year due to flood damage at QPAC, Australasian Dance Collective opened their second iteration of THREE at the Brisbane Powerhouse, a triple bill of new works from three different choreographers, all created in collaboration with the ADC dancers. THREE 2.0 was the end result of collaboration between sixteen (16) creatives, presenting three world premieres and, as always, showcasing the impressive physicality of the ADC ensemble.
The first piece of the evening was Limbic, choreographed by Cass Mortimer Eipper to a composition by Alyxandra Dennison. Limbic was a strong start to the performance, and remained the choreographic standout for me. Cass Mortimer Eipper’s choreography showed a strong balletic influence and was characterised by expansive, sweeping arm movements and sudden changes of pace to both the composition and the choreography, emphasised by harsh, dramatic transitions in the lighting. A rollercoaster of smoke, shadows, and sensory stimuli, Limbic became increasing frenzied and full of contrasts with stop-start choreography, smooth fluidity and sharp movement, and impressive leaps and floor work. Each dancer made the piece their own, but the ensemble had a strong sense of cohesion, overall. A large spotlight created additional boundaries in the stage space, and colourful, textured costuming designed by Zoe Griffiths added to the sensory intensity and controlled chaos of the piece.
Following an interval, the performance continued with Something There Is That Doesn’t Love A Wall, choreographed by Kate Harman and set to a composition by Anna Whitaker. Harman’s choreography had a very organic feeling to it, with the artists rising and falling, competing and collaborating, attracting and repulsing one another. From an indistinguishable mass of limbs moving together across the stage, the jumble of bodies – dressed in colourful, mismatched costuming designed by Zoe Griffiths – gradually slowed to a trancelike pace and became synchronised. Lighting design by Ben Hughes created looming, dramatic shadows and the piece also included individual outbursts of energy and acrobatics from the dancers.
The third and final piece was The Incandescent Dark, choreographed by Gabrielle Nankivell and composed by Luke Smiles, with textile art by Rosa Hirakata. The dancers alternated on and off the stage, braiding the piece together with their individually impressive acrobatics and athleticism. Nankivell’s choreography used subtle, restrained movement and a series of motifs and sequences that evolved throughout. Stillness and movement flowed into one another, and the latter half of the piece intensified to become especially engaging. Smiles’ composition was ambient, with the undertones of a ticking clock and, later, a heartbeat lending a sense of urgency and momentum to the work.
The Australasian Dance Collective brought their distinctive movement style and physical prowess to THREE 2.0, showcasing increased cohesion as an ensemble of artists onstage as well as presenting a triple bill of new contemporary dance works to Brisbane audiences.
THREE 2.0 will play at the Powerhouse Theatre at Brisbane Powerhouse, New Farm, from 13 – 16 July 2022.
For ticketing and further information, visit the ADC website
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