The nightclub, a place where us adults meet, dance and frolic under the cover of darkness and flashing lights. Jaded memories of the most awesome nights out, easily and often impaired by any number of substances. A study of this phenomenon, the human behaviour indicative of these environments, particularly through dance, an interesting dichotomy with a creative development thats surely not bereft of stimulus.
This work doesn’t immediately hit you with its brilliance, opening with scenes not under pinned by music, solely focused on the body aesthetic, played out in the time taken for our eyes to adjust to darkness. The continued gyration and overtly sexual movements here teeter upon the overly repetitious. It makes sense, and conceptually serves purpose, though falls pray, as dance tends, to being a little high brow.
From here however the work grows, the lighting intensifies and the pulsating underscore does slowly emerge. A play, for the most part between Lilian Steiner, Gregory Lorenzutti and Melanie Lane three fine dancers, their skill on show. Though for the most part if not for the choreography then for the subject matter this performance could benefit from most of their training being left at the door.
At 3am on any given dance floor in any nondescript nightclub, shit is starting to get loose, and so too should these dancers.
A succession of cameos that continue to feature, help build narrative and progress the performance. Each disruptive, provoking and at time predatory. Here we see both the light and the darker side of club culture, in final scenes where a cataclysmic mess of odd balls and misfits come together elating, a powerful image.
If not in the sense that we would normally attribute, this work is made by and celebrates community.
Technically brilliant, the lighting design and its execution, is the stuff of wet dreams for many a performance maker. When this design transgresses to form part of the costuming, effective and borderline brilliant, though needs a little more refinement. Similarly, the soundtrack could have been just that little louder, we should feel the base rumble through us.
This work is bold, but needs to be bolder. It’s almost, almost there and will surely go deeper and really blossom over the nights of it season at Arts House. For lovers of dance, this performance leaves you wanting very little, so go check it out. For more info or to book you tickets click here.
