Terrain.

DANCE.

July 2012. Bangarra Dance Theatre's Terrain @ SOH.

Bangarra Dance Theatre’s Terrain is a brilliant representation of Australian dance, and proof that this company is worthy of its title as Australia’s leading Indigenous performing arts company.  This piece beautifully moulded traditional elements within a contemporary dance context, revealing how this company is continuously evolving - fashioning choreographic elements in captivating ways.  All the theatrical components worked together seamlessly and the choreographed sections complemented one another with fluid transitions, unifying the piece as a whole to signify a ‘hymn to country’. Frances Rings translates the connection between us and the natural world through her thoughtful and beautiful choreography, drawing inspiration from Kati Thanda (Lake Eyre).  Composer David Page, Jacob Nash's set design, Jennifer Irwin's costumes, and lighting designer Karen Norris each need to be commended for their depiction of landscape and the powerful atmosphere created on stage.

The core fascination of this work was the creation of shapes.  From the artistic bold lines and patterns on the backdrops, to the constantly manoeuvring forms of the dancers in the space on stage - there was an exhibition of varying formations.  At times these were the literal manifestations of human bodies, whilst also transforming into metaphoric depictions of landscape and natural elements.  This revealed the capacity of this piece to engross the audience to a point where we no longer see the distinction between these two, but rather become enveloped in the storytelling through the dance.  

The opening sequence, Red Brick, introduced an amalgamation of bodies that moved together before breaking apart and playing with patterns of bodies.  Female bodies became wrapped around the males’ bodies with ease, who acted as strong partners.  Dancer Deborah Brown appeared to float through levels of space with their invisible support.  This section established soft physical shapes and lines, which transcended throughout the entire piece.   Sliding and lifting, the dancers transformed and travelled through space affluently.  This section captivated and almost had a hypnotic effect, with its tranquil nature.  

The following section Shields was a welcome juxtaposition to the soft opening, as the men’s ensemble carried white shields, which were cleverly used as a choreographic tool.  The movements were sweeping, feeding into one another, with the dancers’ knees supporting deep lunges and bends, and allowed the movement to display a connection to the ground and earth.  Questions of identity were communicated as the shields often covered the men’s faces- In one solo section the shield replaces the dancer’s head, becoming an extension of the body, shaping and guiding him.  Or perhaps it was also protecting him.  We heard the music chanting “land rights” in repetition, reflecting the human connection to the land and the struggle to keep this connection and the larger political issue about legal land entitlements.  This social statement was finely tuned through performance with the discernible symbols of protection, defence and identity.

Reborn cast a group of one female and three males, to the sound of string instruments, a cello played while the group captured the lamenting mood through movement.  The choreography here was often intimate, encircling and encasing, as the bodies reached and extended over and through one another.  Here the feeling of ritual and tradition is encapsulated within the use of space.  Alternatively Spinifexwas distinctly inspired by nature, specifically trees, as the women’s ensemble wore branches on their heads as a clever and simple extension on their costuming.  These women appeared to be at one with nature, symbolically and metaphorically.  They swirled their long skirts, the fluid movements accented with disjointed isolations and strong head movements, bringing nature to life.

In Salt a male pas de deux, performed by Daniel Riley McKinley and Kaine Sultan-Babij, was a defining focal point.  They were aware of each other through all their senses, finely in tune, allowing them to move in unison and reflection without error.  Working on lower and upper levels, their torso’s guided their gestures through strong angles and aided in the pull between body parts.  Opposing movements and opposing forces.  This segment displayed very particular placements of body parts, such as elbows, which tapped the ground deliberately.  Some sort of abstract powers seemed to be at work through the energies occurring on stage.

The next section Scar, was reminiscent in the costumes and movement of a punk-like aesthetic.  Darkness and faster deliverance saw collapsing, rolling and disjointed bodies and movement, battling and raging.  An unbalance was created in this segment, represented deeply through Elma Kris’ solo as she flailed, reached out, collapsed, hunched and retracted.  With torso and head lowered, the dancers did not seem at peace with the earth unlike the other segments.

The final three sections Landform, Relfect and Deluge, although each holding different characteristics, worked at healing the disruption that had been created on stage and bringing the human-earth connection back.  Within the slow movements here, we witnessed traditional elements being explored with affectations and smooth, continual choreography.  Upper torso’s isolated and undulated, and the knees were bent and active, picking up the feet and allowing the bodies to sweep the space.  Using tools including streams of light, wind chimes, and apparently levitating female dancers we viewed a healing transformation and re-connection between us and the earth.

To witness ‘Terrain’ is to witness Australia’s history as well as present, with artistic and intellectual depth that was communicated through a contemporary dance piece that is worthy of the standing ovation it received.