‘Three 2.0’ was alive.
The acclaimed contemporary dance company, Australasian Dance Collective took over the Brisbane Powerhouse to present their acclaimed returning production, ‘THREE 2.0’. Featuring, as the name might suggest, three brand-new commissioned works by Australian choreographers all complete with unique compositions and subject matters, ‘THREE 2.0’ is a sight to behold and a showcase of some of the best contemporary dance that performance has to offer.
‘Limbic’ was the first piece to take the stage, choreographed by Cass Mortimer Eipper and composed by Alyxandra Dennison. It was symbiotic and anatomical, following the lifespan of a human from a level that sought to represent the inner, mechanical workings of our bodies. This work also manifested into a film by Mortimer Eipper, which played in the foyer of the Powerhouse. ‘Limbic’ and its composition was high energy, electronic and esoteric.
The second offering, choreographed by Kate Harman and composed by Anna Whitaker, was entitled ‘Something There Is That Doesn’t Love a Wall’. It was slower and mesmeric at times, and playful and frivolous at others. It explored the extremes of human relationships and our natural defence mechanisms that both serve to protect and hurt us. The composition was heartfelt and stirring, allowing the performer’s voices to ring out over the music through their movement.
The final piece was ‘The Incandescent Dark’, choreographed by Gabrielle Nankivell and composed by Luke Smiles. This piece explored the transformative power of light, let into space through holes that can flood a space with brightness or fade into the dark. This feature was inspired by the punctum of a camera, and the small amount of light that is let in through this mechanism to create a photograph. The work was like a vignette of different moments shared between the dancers and the light, enabling an experience that was both material and metaphysical.
All of the pieces were concerned with unpacking what it means to be human within ourselves and within our relationships with each other and the world around us. They were collaborative but distinctly different in their approaches to storytelling and theme.
Lighting design by Ben Hughes was phenomenal and complemented each piece perfectly. A shocking blood red electrified the stage during moments in ‘Limbic’, harkening back to the themes of the body, and a slowly fading spotlight gave deep meaning to the recurring motif of the light a hole lets into a dark space in ‘The Incandescent Dark’.
The functionality of a dance costume is surely a heavy undertaking, but designer Zoe Griffiths managed to create pieces that not only allowed the dancers to move with poignancy but gave an avant-garde visual representation of the themes of each piece: ranging from playful bright colours of ‘Something There Is That Doesn’t Love a Wall’ to the matching colours of ‘Limbic’.
The combination of athleticism and artistry on display by the exquisite Australasian Dance Collective’s company is a marvel and enables the three works to be brought to life as separate artistic entities. The same energy and gravitas were brought to the first piece as to the last. They were syncopated, trusting and profoundly precise.
‘THREE 2.0’ is a showcase of multidisciplinary art from the best of what Australia has to offer – from composers to dancers, costume and lighting design. ‘THREE 2.0’ was a performance that left the audience provoked in thought and astounded with the calibre of the ADC’s company and commissioned artists.
‘THREE 2.0’ performed until Saturday, 16 July 2022 at Brisbane Powerhouse. For more information, visit the Australian Dance Collective’s website.
