Echo | ADC
Echo is a contemporary dance performance that offers a unique angle, as it combines the traditional live performance with a filmed experience.
Australasian Dance Collective’s (ADC) talented Youth Ensemble performed an energetic and creative show at Judith Wright Centre as they delved into themes of direction, paths, freedom, country, and life journeys. The bill spans three showings, each one accompanied by a different set of short films by members of the ensemble; the showing I attended included the films Callow, Solstice, Bewildered Mind and Magnetic.
Staring up at the videos running across the screen, the stage beneath engulfed in black, I found myself appreciating the way each one used the editing process to produce new kinds of performances not otherwise possible. I was taken to beaches and country sides, highways and bushland; with each passing car a single dancer became three, and elegant hands multiplied upon themselves becoming ghostly worm-like entanglements. One dancer could pause at the end of a sequence only to be replaced by the next in the same position, continuing the next phrase like an Olympic relay of choreography and movement.
The live performances followed the two films. These featured captivating displays of movement as the cast flowed across the floor, producing beautiful shapes and, in one performance, replicating the tide of the ocean advancing and receding. I also appreciated the moments of stillness, such as when the dancers sat smoothing their thumbs across their fingers as though feeling through sand and shells and producing the sound of the sea.
While I enjoyed the technical components of the show, ranging from videography to choreography, I found myself wanting to feel a deeper connection to the story and music. For me, the show illuminated a number of thoughtful concepts, but without a clear narrative they were nearly lost in abstraction.
The show ended on a powerful indie rock piece that was strong and earthy, carrying African instrumental undertones. This was my favourite performance as the group choreography was cohesive and imaginative, such as a moment where two groups diverged, each dancer with a partner who they controlled with snake-like movements to a winding string instrument.
Echo is an excellent piece of experimentation led by Katina Olsen and Lauren Graham, and I give a big kudos to the Youth Ensemble for their performance, professionalism, and creativity.
ADC’s ‘Echo’ played 27-28 August 2021 at The Judith Wright Centre, Fortitude Valley.
