Brisbane review - Code of Conduct: Innovative and Dynamic

 By Lilian Harrington

Production:                      Code of Conduct

Concept &Direction:  Jack Lister and Amy Hollingsworth

Artistic Director:          Amy Hollingsworth

Company:                        Australasian Dance Collective

Location:                          Level 20/ 300 George St Brisbane

Season:                             19 – 28 March 7. 30 pm (no latecomers)

Bookings:  australasiandancecollective.com

Have you ever imagined what it would be like to stage a dance performance in a work place on a top floor of a modern city office block? The Australasian Dance Collective, fresh from their successful run of Relic, have opened their premier season of Code of Conduct on the 20^th floor at 300 George St. a tall, Brisbane office block, with low ceilings and windowed walls, that overlook many other corporate buildings.

Director, Amy Hollingsworth, offered no apology when she explained that this was the perfect space for dancers to cut their teeth in a non-traditional theatre. She said that the dancers had encountered some challenges, but her reasoning was that this program, which she and Jack Lister have conceived, is contemporary dance which explores modern office culture, corporate ambition, technology, and worker burnout, in a corporate setting. This work is quite a dark, comic look at the life of the worker in the corporate world, who is having to learn to cope with competition, fatigue, technology and staff changes. The modern term for this is “canine obedience and human productivity” as demonstrated during the performance.

The setting is designed as a real-life scenario in the workplace and each dance sequence is focused on bringing together choreographed images in synchronized movement by the ensemble, or in solo dance routines. The production follows the theme of how people behave in the professional workplace and soloist Taiga Kita – Leong, highlighted this skillfully. A further example of this was the rope dance, from Lilly King and Jack Lister, it showed levels of expectation and manipulation placed on a worker, forced into a world where human endeavor competes with technology, and leads to disillusionment or loss of aspiration.   

The Code of Conduct routines show workers being conditioned to the work-environment and having to follow a mandatory code of practice. Through dance routines the ensemble experiences hard labor, professional development and obedience, as they adopt corporate beliefs, and values.

This 60-minute production was staged on a flat- grassed- floor, with strobe lighting effects and corporate tables, which were moved about to suit the scenario.

Louis Frere–Harvey’s musical and sound arrangements, blended seamlessly into the dance sequences and guest pianist Alex Ranieri, complimented the dancers beautifully, as they worked through each scene, along with recorded sound effects from Eleanor Steels.

The dance ensemble: Sam Hall, Lilly King, Taiga Kita-Leon, Jack Lister, Lily Potger, Hugo Poulet, and Te Atawhai Kaa, were costumed in the same grey, drab, work outfits, symbolic of the corporate world, implying that workers are simply one team, and just a number in a company, likened to machines, all moving and following in unison.

The choreography meant that the performers moved about the space and used the tables or chairs to lie on, crawl under, or dance around. The tables were lit underneath, and became a powerful statement, forming part of “live technology” in some sequences.  

Viewers became completely immersed in the intense images created, supported by the lighting and sound effects. At times, lead dancer Lilly King, used vocals to indicate the action, as she progressed from a rules-based manager, to a contortionist, dealing with everything and finally losing faith she faced full realization.

Code of Conduct, performed at 300 George St, for a limited season, by the Australasian Dance Collective, is very innovative and the concept works well; it won’t disappoint viewers!