Belong.

DANCE.

A 2011 oldie.  Bangarra Dance Theatre's Belong @ SOH.

Bangarra Dance Theatre, Australia’s premier Indigenous performing arts company, presented a beautiful double-bill consisting of About, choreographed by Elma Kris, and ID, choreographed by Artistic Director Stephen Page.

Often when observing a company like Bangarra it is easy to get caught up in a political and social analysis of the dance work. As an Indigenous Arts company people tend to bring certain expectations to the production, although this is arguably true of all companies. Expectations of what should be presented, of what is politically or artistically correct or incorrect. Such debate seems to excel when Indigenous art is involved, where merit is judged by how traditional or contemporary it may be, or how these two elements are fused. But why must it be assessed in this way? Why can we not instead look at it without passing judgment and enjoy it for what it is?

Choreographer and dancer Elma Kris’ piece About opened the performance with a mesmerizing and captivating vocabulary of dance movement, embodying the mood of the winds. Here the dancers were able to show off their versatility and skill, with extended lines of the body and limbs being highlighted and exposed. This piece was all about the movement, a fresh and raw showing of bodies on stage. The piece quickly established a contagious flow in the movement, as legs swept across the stage, and limber bodies pushed their extremities. The deliberate muscular control created this continuous current, which was accented with particular undulations and detachments. Curved and long lines were broken as angled torsos bounced with momentum, as though buffeted by wind. Extended arms and legs became disjointed as elbows and knees firmly retracted and stretched.

Even though Bangarra do present political and social themes in their works, I don’t think it is important to analyze the performance from such a perspective, but rather to look at the dance itself. We should appreciate what is being displayed, rather than contemplating if the company is doing the right or wrong thing in the medium of dance.

After all, Bangarra is a company that represents contemporary Indigenous society and artists. It is in fact an innovative company that successfully challenges perceptions, but at the end of the day produces remarkable pieces of dance. So let's talk about that. Let's talk about the performance that is being presented on stage to the audience, rather than judging its merit for how traditional or contemporary it may be. Let us appreciate the dance for what it is.

At first the women danced alone, then the men, before at last joining together, creating a contemporary unified dance. A harmony was felt between the bodies, each relying on their neighbour, as they brushed through the space on the stage.

Artistic Director Stephen Page presented a very different second half with his piece ID. As the title suggests, this section created scenarios that questioned identity, with poignant and sometimes humorous moments. The theatrics and images presented on stage were powerful, and interplayed with strong dancing once again.

Employing a screen on stage, the dancers moved seamlessly from their virtual identities to their real selves. Creating an eerie and entrancing atmosphere, the bodies separated from and returned to their spiritual selves – to their past and their culture – twisting and turning, creating strong shapes through space. A man beat his chest and legs, incorporating movements that exposed extreme upper body strength and technical feats.

A memorable section involved five dancers: a male, with the number ‘1’ written on his chest; and four females with different fractions written on their backs signifying their Indigenous lineage. Wearing very little, the performers were clearly on display. Portraying difference, yet were harmonious, as they danced in unison.

Throughout the piece there are truly exquisite moments. The partner work was flawless and delicate. At times we were refreshed with ritualistic gems, including the use of swinging branches, traveling sequences, and a strong connection to the ground through stampings. Bodies breaking, swirling, collapsing then lifting, limbs shooting out, reaching and pushing to their extremities. Falling. Rising. Faces being painted.

In one segment a plastic bag is forced over a male dancer’s head. Struggling and imprisoned his body bends over, hunched and breaking, rebounding with every fall and hit. A tortured body, a tortured soul, a tortured people. His knees undulated as he squirmed, muscles contracting and collapsing powerfully, before being dragged off.

The movement was beautifully reflective and representative of the thematics of identity and performance, employing the power of dance to provoke the situation of contemporary society.

The composer for both pieces, David Page, along with Steve Francis for About, need to be acknowledged for the elaborate music and soundscape. Their incredible perception and connection to the choreography is innate and uninterrupted, using a range from natural sounds to electronica. All elements, including the simple yet striking sets aided to the creation of a unified presentation.