Marriage Rhyme

Something old, something new, something borrowed, and something “Blue.” The premise of Australasian Dance Collective’s fortieth anniversary celebration stems from the traditional divisions of time. The company presented a triple bill full of history and surprise, nostalgia and the macabre. It featured an excerpt from the repertoire, Natalie Weir’s “When Time Stops,” a new creation, Melanie Lane’s “Glass Teeth,” and a borrowed favourite, Hofesh Shechter’s “In your rooms.” The bill was a trifecta that acted as the proverbial sixpence in the company’s (celebratory) shoe.

Performance

Australasian Dance Collective: Natalie Weir’s “When Time Stops” / Melanie Lane’s “Glass Teeth” / Hofesh Shechter’s “In Your Rooms”

Place

Playhouse Theatre, Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Brisbane, Australia, May 14, 2025

Words

Madelyn Coupe

Australasian Dance Collective in Melanie Lane's “Glass Teeth.” Photograph by David Kelly

The evening began by paying homage to ADC’s artistic directors, past and present: Maggi Sietsma (1984 to 2008), Weir (2009 to 2018), and Amy Hollingsworth (2019 to now). As the three women emerged onstage, the audience erupted. The response being both a communal thank you for upholding one of Australia’s leading contemporary dance companies, and also a vocal acknowledgement of how said leadership has been, for forty years, female led (a wonderful and rare practice that hopefully continues after Hollingsworth’s directorship).

The show, then, launched into an excerpt of “When Time Stops” by Weir—a piece to commemorate the history of the company. Weir is a talented craftsman that weaves intuitive storytelling through her movement, and this excerpt was a beautiful reminder of her tenure. Twelve years after the original premiere, “When Time Stops” continues to be emotionally evocative. We were met with the Woman who, at the very moment of her death, flashes through the pivotal points of her life. Riannon McLean returned to the ADC stage to reprise the role originally created for (and with) her. She, and Jack Lister as the Ferryman, played with the concepts of agency and submission ever so beautifully. The pair personified the struggle between holding onto the past and stepping into an unknown future. What also added an extra haunting layer was having the string accompaniment by Camerata (Queensland’s Chamber Orchestra) onstage. Their physical presence fleshed out the mise-en-scène and added to the timbre of the piece.

Jack Lister and Riannon McLean in Natalie Weir's “When Time Stops.” Photograph by David Kelly

Next was Lane’s new creation. If the recent TV adaptation of The Decameron crossed paths with a gothic wonderland, “Glass Teeth” would sit at this intersection. Moody, dark, and sardonic, the work was a brilliant synthesis of movement and speculative fiction. Set within a fragmentary dreamscape, Lane’s concept was hilarious in its unseriousness. It featured bold movement phrases that were cheeky and arrogant. It also revelled in the surreal and gritty moments that the dancers created. One in particular, where Lilly King stared down the audience while she mimed pulling out her own tooth, was fantastically horrifying. The costumes designed by Gail Sorronda added to the medieval world-building. The dancers donned horned headdresses, and plague doctor-esque cloaks. The costumes sat in such contact to the bare stage that it heightened otherness of Lane’s choreography. At times, there was a lack of clarity surrounding the removal of some costume pieces (whether it was intentional or an accident), but there is no doubt that “Glass Teeth” was an audience favourite.

Sam Coren in Hofesh Shechter's “In Your Rooms.” Photograph by David Kelly

Lastly, an excerpt of Shechter’s “In Your Rooms” rounded out the evening. Originally produced by three of London’s major dance venues—Sadler’s Wells, South Bank Centre and the Place—the work has been restaged by companies the likes of Nederlands Dans Theatre and the Paris Opera Ballet. Brimming with provocative ideologies, “In Your Rooms” showcased the diversity of the dancers. The choreography was pulsing and rhythmic, the constant repetition creating a microcosm onstage. Joined by Sam Coren, ADC’s rehearsal director, and Hayley Corderoy, a current pre-professional student, the group of eight dancers were a living, breathing unit—they worked together to build and then subside tension in the room. Shechter’s piece was not as brazen as Lane’s or emotional as Weir’s, but it was a wonderful (and visceral) way to round out the evening.

Madelyn Coupe

Madelyn is a dramaturg and former ballerina based in Brisbane. She holds a BA (Honours) in Drama and is currently undertaking postgraduate study specialising in Classical Ballet Dramaturgy.

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Marriage Rhyme

Madelyn Coupe

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