Brisbane review - Dance Nation: pulls no punches

By Lilian Harrington

Production: Dance Nation

Writer: Clare Barron

Company and Presenters: That Production Company and Metro Arts

Location: Metro Arts (Factory Lane West End Village)

Address: 97 Boundary St. West End

Season August 20-30

Suitable for Ages :13 +

Bookings : info@metroarts.com.au /Tel. ( 07) 300 2 7100

With an opening from Country from Dawn Daio, That Production Company opened it’ s season of Dance Nation at Metro Arts, in Brisbane’s West End, which is rapidly becoming an “arts hub” in the inner city. Written by Clare Barron, directed by Timothy Wynn, choreographed by Jennifer B. Ashley, and presented at the New Benner Theatre, Metro Arts, That Production Company, have produced an original work that is told through dance and dramatic storytelling; it opens the door to a multi-level dance/theatre experience.

That Production Company is an independent company, based in Ipswich, west of Brisbane, and it performs in both regional and metro areas. To date they have received several distinctive awards in both their classical and contemporary productions. Their new production Dance Nation, is a new work written by Clare Barron which aims to cultivate an understanding of the world that surrounds teenagers; it is a celebration of both older and new works, with an appeal to young and older audiences.

 In essence, the story is about a dance company that is striving to compete successfully in an important national competition but, within the company itself, there is some fierce rivalry and some very messy and awkward moments, that occur within the troupe, which is led by an uncompromising coach. As these creative teenagers start to grow up, they realise that their bodies are starting to change; this in turn causes some psychological and physical changes. They must address their fears, self -discovery, sexual awakenings, their ambitions and friendships, as well as the demands of the dance coach and the ever- persistent dance mad parent.

The story is about teenagers and it involved ambition, collaboration and friendships. Despite the fact that there were some well- established dancers in lead roles, it was a deliberate decision to have a mixed aged cast playing some of the teenage roles, which was at times not always believable. However, under the direction of Timothy Wynn the Ensemble worked well together.

The Ensemble presented their performance on a flat stage below the auditorium’s raked seating. The simply designed stage was kept black until spot- lit in each scene. The special reflected backscreen enabled for snapshots and other images and effective off -stage action at times. The main action was centre-stage, and also downstage, close to the audience; at times some cast could have tempered the use of their vocal levels more, as some of the dialogue was far too loud for the audience seated close to the stage and some sound levels were rather sharp.

This is the kind of show that needs a good pace and energy. Opening night saw a few little pauses between scenes when more depth, pace and flow was needed. However, the fun, the sharp wit, the banter and humour, was definitely heard, and there were strong leads, great character work and some very impressive performances, especially in the rendition of Ghandi. There was a very memorable moment between stage friends and conflict between the dance coach and his lead dancers. It was very enjoyable and effective to see some complicated scenes being imaged through dance by younger dancers, who were replicating some of the thought -provoking dialogue. Dance Nation is certainly a well-designed and thought- provoking show which leaves no punches.