Union Dance has always had one foot on the street and another in contemporary dance and this double bill is no exception.
Combining hip hop, urban flavours, break dancing, martial arts and stylised contemporary movements, Sensing Change charts the development of 21st century culture and how it embraces change and transformation.
The powerhouses behind the choreography are Rafael Bonachela, renowned for combining art and popular culture in his work with contemporary icons such as Kylie Minogue and Primal Scream, and Malaysian-born Mavin Khoo who also likes to blend dance styles by merging modern and classical dance.
The double bill begins with Pure C by Khoo. Sharp, angular, distorted arm lines and hyperextended legs dominate the choreography. At times during the piece this looks exotic and at other times out of place. The backdrop is minimal with disco style flashing lights, podium style platforms and futuristic video projection.
Bonachela’s work, Silence Disrupted, is edgy, fast-paced, acoustic and appears to want to shock. The dancers work through the beat and the partner work is athletic and faultless.
Although it is exciting to witness change, just as with 21st century culture, you sometimes wish you could slow things down and take a look at what is going on behind the chaos. This evening does not allow the audience that depth, but does allow them to sense different movement qualities and dynamics and also experience the transformation the body can go through by using sound, light, music, silence and interactive technology.
Production information can change over the run of the show.
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