Review - Desirelines, a mysterious performance

Desirelines

By Collusion

Concept: Benjamin Greaves

Choreographer: Gareth Belling

Composition: Susan Hawkins.

Judith Wright Centre

Season is over.

Take four dancers, three musicians, magical animation and lighting, plus a set of train tracks, meld together and the result is as mysterious piece of performance that had the audience silently absorbing the sound and movement.

There was a soaring musical score from the musicians Benjamin Greaves (violin), Danielle Bentley (‘cello), and Diana Tolmie (clarinet) as they slowly moved around the stage sometimes somnambulistic, sometimes carried on a trolley that was locked onto stainless steel tracks that navigated a digitally animated landscape in this fascinating mix of contemporary ballet and modern chamber music backed by moody lighting from Ben Hughes and Cameron Goerg.

But the journey was forever interrupted by the dancers as they moved the tracks to change the directions of the musicians; the desirelines were in constantly flux

In between, the dancers danced, sometimes gently sometimes with fire, passion or anger to Gareth Belling’s powerful choreography. Former Queensland Ballet dancers Nathan Scicluna and Mellissa Tattum plus Michael Smith and Amelia Stokes were the dancers and Leigh Buchanan designed the clever costumes with lines and chevrons that matched the animation from Pete Foley.

That was particularly stunning with music notes and lines constantly changing direction and length across the stage and helped create an atmosphere of mystery.

Collusion, Queensland’s music and dance ensemble has been together for 13 years, and is a group of award-winning chamber musicians who collaborate with composers, choreographer and dancers. The group has a unique style that certainly created an evocative and thoroughly enjoyable performance with Desirelines.

The packed audience was enthralled and cheered the troupe at the end. There were only three performances, but each one was sold out, which shows the popularity and need of modern dance and music. I would like to see more of them.