As part of Australian Ballet's 2009 Ballet Russes season, the Arts Centre is holding a free exhibition called Creative Australia and the Ballet Russes which explores the influence of the Ballet Russes on the art and design scene in Australia, the legacy of the ballet company in Australian dance and its inspiration for three visual artists today.
The exhibition talk I attended covered all of those areas in great detail. While I thought the paintings and photographs were mildly interesting, I was most entranced by the exquisite detail of Leon Krasenstein's Firebird costume, with each piece of fabric handpainted to look like a red feather and then twisted into a shape approximating a tutu. I also loved the smudgy charcoal drawings of Tania Mason, which perfectly captured the delicacy of the Firebird costumes coupled with the strength of the dancers in soft focus.
Showing posts with label ballet and dance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ballet and dance. Show all posts
Wednesday, 1 July 2009
Thursday, 14 May 2009
HOT: Rafael Bonachela's 360, Sydney Dance Company, Arts Centre, 100 St Kilda Rd, Melbourne
Sydney Dance Company has always been synonymous with Graeme Murphy for me, so I was interested to see what their new Barcelona-born artistic director, Rafael Bonachela, had in store for their latest work.
360 degrees is an abstract hour-long piece which is all about the kinetic force of physical movement. Sitting in the very front row meant that we had no choice but to admire the sinewy strength, flexibility and forceful dynamism of the dancers' barely-clad bodies as they jumped, twisted and balanced in front of a silver wall which reflected every move.
I have to admit that I don't know much about modern dance, and all that abstractness can just go over my head. However, the one thing that I find exciting about it (and really all forms of dance) is that professional dancers can express spark, tension and meaning in every part of their body, right down to their fingertips. Combine that with a pumping techno beat, a dizzying video of freeway driving and precision-timed movements in some sections of 360, and the effect was very exciting.
360 degrees is an abstract hour-long piece which is all about the kinetic force of physical movement. Sitting in the very front row meant that we had no choice but to admire the sinewy strength, flexibility and forceful dynamism of the dancers' barely-clad bodies as they jumped, twisted and balanced in front of a silver wall which reflected every move.
I have to admit that I don't know much about modern dance, and all that abstractness can just go over my head. However, the one thing that I find exciting about it (and really all forms of dance) is that professional dancers can express spark, tension and meaning in every part of their body, right down to their fingertips. Combine that with a pumping techno beat, a dizzying video of freeway driving and precision-timed movements in some sections of 360, and the effect was very exciting.
Categories of Fun:
ballet and dance,
southbank
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