Bespoke captivates with a compelling trio of new works

Katina Olsen’s gundirgan, wise woman opened with dancers running onstage into a cloud of smoke, with movement that mimicked a cloud of dirt. This combined with a sunset like backdrop set the scene of Ban Ban Springs. Chris Williams then begun to guide the dancers through the piece, with work on the didgeridoo. It was wonderful to see First Nation’s culture represented through stories of their ancestors. Specifically in this piece, the leading role of Aunty Maureen Williams, played by Tara Robertson. The character proudly danced and felt free with her connection to the land. This contrasted against the sharp and repetitive motions she is later forced into. A highlight was the touching moment of Aunty Maureen Williams being displayed on the backdrop and Chris Williams performing directly to Tara’s character to remind her of her culture. The piece ends with the same joyous movements from the beginning, it was wonderful to have this glimpse into history.

Birds of Paradise by Milena Sidorva, was a humorous piece that revealed the uncanny connection between humans and birds and how they win each other’s affection. Many scenes depicted the males fighting for the interest of the female, only for her to be disinterested. One of the dances even resulted in a duet with a lamp post. What made the connection stronger for the audience was the integration of well-cherished love songs such as Love Me, Tender by Elvis Presley. The audience could relate or laugh at the events taking place on stage which depicted the struggles of finding modern day love. This was due to the brilliant comedic timing of the dancers; the slightest head tilt or movement sent the audience laughing. The colourful costumes of the male dancers conveyed the proud expressive nature of the Birds of Paradise which cohesively flowed with the wing like puffs on the women’s costumes made by Milena Sidorva and Timothy Corne.

Jack Lister’s Papillon visualised the unsettling process of metamorphosis and carried the audience across this journey. This piece started during the intermission with odd whispering heard throughout the theatre. All was soon revealed as the stage was stripped of its wings to invite the audience into the raw nature of this work. The dancers were not only performing onstage but also above the audience while whispering to themselves. This made the piece more immersive and set the eerie vibe. This continued further as sounds similar to insect wings flapping and movement of a cocoon, revealed the metamorphosis process as the strings squeaked. A fabric piece behind the dancers rose as to mimic butterfly wings as EDM-like music filled the room. Not only that, but dark silhouette lights slowly brightened to reveal the bright beautiful costumes. The dancer’s sharp and twitching movements portrayed the insect breaking free with perfect symmetrical movements to mimic the beauty of a butterfly. The ending stance of chatter towards the audience broke a sense of the fourth wall and left us intrigued and a little on edge. This creative piece did a brilliant job of making the audience feel what was intended.