Dancer Matt Dillon as Prince Siegfried. Photo Ethaniel Masters
360 Centre, Lower Plenty
Friday August 28th
By Rebecca Martin.
Melbourne Dance Theatre (MDT) claims to be more than purely a dance company by collaborating different art forms into its performances. Their production of Swan Lake, however, was essentially a dance piece with only a hint of acrobatics and voice. This is not a bad thing, as Michelle Sierra’s modern take on the ballet classic was a delight. MDT stayed true to the original theme of love and betrayal and kept the traditional Tchaikovsky score, but presented a version that was set in the current day with night clubs and celebrities.
Matt Dillon as Prince Siegfried was a standout, with his clean technique and strong presence keeping me captivated for the entire piece. As with all Swan Lake versions, unfortunately the men do not take centre stage, so I look forward to seeing Dillon in a piece that showcases his talents to a greater extent in the future. Paris Hodson was a beautiful Odette, however her performance was reserved, a problem which will no doubt be overcome with maturity. In Act 3, Kathleen Skipp was a revelation from her first entrance on stage as the celebrity guest. Her sensuous performance in a striking red and black costume was a highlight. She is certainly a dancer to watch.
The corps de ballet were the only disappointment in the performance. Although they created some wonderful moments and executed the challenging choreography quite well, at times the lines were messy and steps were forgotten. Opening nights are often fraught with nerves, so I am sure the following shows were much cleaner.
Michelle Sierra’s choreography was daring and blurred the lines between classical and contemporary dance. While almost all of the dancing was performed on flat and the steps generally stemmed from a classical perspective, the movement vocabulary was vast. The swan costumes borrowed liberally from Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake, with the dancers in white feathered pants and white tops for the women or bare chests for the men. In the second act, the costumes were more elaborate in keeping with the night club theme and brought the stage to life with their colours.
Melbourne Dance Theatre’s Swan Lake is a bold production that needed just a little more incubation. Pushing the boundaries in the Australian arts scene is so essential, particularly when it comes to dance. We need more choreographers who are brave enough to try something new, and we certainly need the support of audiences and funding bodies. Melbourne Dance Theatre should be applauded for staging shows that challenge the audience as well as the dancers, and their season of Swan Lake was no exception.
www.melbournedancetheatre.com.au
Share this:
