REVIEW: Motion Gallery
Another fantastic review of Transit Dance's MOTION GALLERY from our friends at My Melbourne Arts - http://www.mymelbournearts.com/2017/09/motion-gallery-melbourne-fringe.html
Transit Dance transforms into a labyrinth of movement with nine intimate performances within Motion Gallery. Conceived and realised by its 2nd year students, this immersive evening of dance showcases the talent that lies in boththe school's dance students and its choreographers, as film and dance come together to create striking images and memorable performances.
The evening begins with One Alternate (choreographed by Gabrielle Loveridge and Sarah McCrorie); an intriguing performance dealing with parallel universes and identical lives. Once this piece has concluded, we are guided to another room for the next piece and while I initially worried that this structure would take away from the immersive aspect of Motion Gallery, it worked quite well, particularly due to the role of the dancers-cum-ushers.
While each piece has its own theme, there is still an overarching idea linking the performances with regards to identity and how we connect to each other - either through human / physical contact or through technology and the digital age we find ourselves in. There are some pieces that don't seem to work in terms of concept and execution or feeling quite similar to something we've already seen, but the ones that do are hugely rewarding and I would love to see these ones explored and expanded upon in the future.
Choreographed by Nicole Muscat and Kady Mansour, Tapua is a humourous look at menstruation and sacredness with the four dancers (Meg Bassett, Kimberley Halberg Annaleise Gaffney and Matillda Hall) displaying some impressive physicality and characterisation. The costumes, set design and music all come together perfectly to build on the environment and themes being explored.
Similarly Ə C O, choreographed by Jenn Ma and Adrien Trucker is a great exploration of destruction, creation and destruction being a form of creation with some physically demanding work of its dancers (Marisa Allen, Morgan Bolam, Dominique Cowden, Hannah Lilleyman and Claire Lawson) which is seamlessly performed.
The nine performances in Motion Gallery are an entertaining and inquisitive look into the world and how we relate to it. With some thoughtful choreography and enthusiastic and committed performances, it has much to say about who and what we are.