Nida Parade Theatres, Sydney
August 28, 2013
By Linda Badger.
Locreado Dance Company is a young company with a lot of potential. This particular show, titled 12 lives, told 12 different stories. The concept was exceptional and the telling of the stories as individual snippets was quite engaging, on the most part.
Overall, however, this show left some to be desired in terms of structure, thread and storytelling, but the actual movement content showed much beauty and potential. There were some fantastic choreographic moments in partner and group work, and some beautiful individual moments of great artistry, connection and meaning.
The dancers, all under the age of 25, danced with a lot of strength and passion, and as they came out and told their characters’ individual stories. Some performed with a great sense of maturity, and some not so much, but they are all still developing as artists. There was a lot of teenage angst that showed through some performers. It would be lovely to see them develop their understanding of the portrayal of a character and learn to really understand and breathe through the role they are playing, so they don’t just show intense pain or happiness as one dimensional emotions that sit at peak intensity the entire performance. They need to let it breathe, ebb and flow, and show light and shade. Each performer had only a short time to tell their story, so this was a crucial aspect that often got lost at times.
Many of the solos, even though each had a totally different story, ended up more often than not being performed in the same manner, with the only difference being the program blog and movement content. Having said that, some of the really great moments came from some of the more mature dancers who seemed to grasp the concept of their performance. Standout performances came from dancers Rebekah Vulic, who played a young mother who had lost a child, Shannon Hatchman who played an alcoholic, and Casey Lyn, who played a girl who cried for attention.
Locreado Dance Company attempted to fit a lot into this show, with no solid reason given for the stories, so there was no sense of resolution or questions left with the audience at the conclusion. Multiple costume changes and blackouts with each scene change also seemed to create a disjointed feel to the show as a whole.
As with all emerging choreographers, there are many lessons to be learned, but with so much talent, this company will go places. With young dancers being given the chance to work in a company environment, the experience Artistic Director Loredo Malcolm is giving them is invaluable. His passion for dance and willingness to put everything on the line to follow his dream of having a company that is relatable to all, is very important in our often ‘dance for the dancer’ environment. Regardless of being hard to follow at times, or feeling like the morsels of story given throughout really needed to be more fully explored, there was a beauty in what was created in 12 Lives. I would recommend this show to young dancers, as it will inspire them to follow their dreams. This is, after all, what Loredo is all about, and this shows through in his work every time.
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