A Metamorphosis of Meaning

One night, three premieres, and a mixture of tradition and originality. Queensland Ballet’s “Bespoke” presented new works that playfully experimented with the classical technique in a contemporary setting of the Talbot Theatre at the Thomas Dixon Centre. Now in its seventh year, the program featured a mix of local and international talent: the inaugural programming of Wakka Wakka and Kombumerri choreographer Katina Olsen; Ukrainian-Dutch choreographer Milena Sidorova; and the recently appointed Associate Artistic Director of Australasian Dance Collective, Jack Lister. The night was fun, flirtatious, and bold…just what you want from a program advertised to push boundaries.

Performance

Queensland Ballet: “Bespoke,” with choreography by Katina Olsen, Milena Sidorova, and Jack Lister

Place

Talbot Theatre, Thomas Dixon Centre, Brisbane, Queensland, July 26, 2024

Words

Madelyn Coupe

Alyssa Park and Joseph Moss in “Papillon” by Jack Lister. Photograph by David Kelly

The evening began with Olsen’s “gundirgan, wise woman”, a piece that celebrated the life of Wakka Wakka woman Aunty Maureen Williams. From the outset, Olsen’s work was deeply grounded in belief and permanence. The curtain parted to show a foggy morning terrain; the dancers whistling across the stage like the spirit of the Ban Ban Springs. In the upstage corner sat the Southern Cross Soloists, a collective of string and woodwind musicians, including Chris Williams on the didgeridoo. Throughout the piece, the dancers and musicians worked in tandem to create a dynamic atmosphere. They ebbed and flowed together. They created a collective harmony that was guided, specifically, by guest artist Tara Robertson.

Robertson, whose previous credits include Bangarra Dance Theatre and Guts Dance, starred as Aunty Maureen Williams. She led the ensemble of dancers through Olsen’s world and created a unique dialogue with Williams on the didgeridoo. At times, the disparity of the dancers’ technique did sit at odds with each other—Robertson’s grounded movement looked more at ease with Olsen’s choreography when compared to the company dancers. Although, when the dancers found common ground (and when they were drawn into the heart of the piece) the choreography did speak to every body onstage. The impact of this harmony becomes more poignant when drawing back out to the macro importance of this work. “gundirgan, wise woman” is the inaugural First Nations work for “Bespoke,” a welcome inclusion and hopefully continuing trend at QB.

Tara Robertson in Katina Olsen’s “gundirgan, wise woman.” Photograph by David Kelly

The second performance of the night was Sidorova’s “Birds of Paradise,” a comedic tale of bird-like courtship. Ten dancers took to the stage and explored the ritualistic act of finding companionship. How do birds mirror our quest for connection and love? What moments of grief and humour can we find when comparing these similarities? Edison Manuel and Luca Armstrong shone in this piece. Both dancers easily matched the pace and performance of the more seasoned principals in the group. Manuel was a solid partner for Neneka Yoshida, and their Valsa pas de deux was enjoyable to watch. Armstrong, as well, executed the Love Me Tender solo exquisitely, and I am eager to see how these dancers continue to develop after this season.

The strength of “Birds of Paradise” lies in its comedic value. There were little nuggets of joy scattered through the sequences: a flexing competition between the men, and the relentless indifference of the women to their advances. When Sidorova leant into the comedy, these moments provided context for the dances. Suddenly, the audience could draw parallels to their own lives and engage with the questions that the work was asking. Humour brought together the disparate elements of the performance, but this conceptual weaving was not sustained throughout (and made even more apparent when bookended by two fully realised works).

Milena Sidorova’s “Birds of Paradise.” Photograph by David Kelly

The night concluded with Lister’s “Papillon”—one of the best works Queensland Ballet has staged to date. The piece plotted the lifespan of a butterfly, from its metamorphosis into a winged beauty to the harrowing inevitability of its death. In his token style, Lister pushed the company to its performative limits, demanding both dancer and audience alike to be fully consumed by the movement. He also collaborated with composer Louis Frere-Harvey to create a fast-paced yet uncomfortably addictive score.

Credit goes to the dancers who mercilessly attacked the choreography, all of whom were Young Artists. They scaled the tension net up in the roof, they pulled each other back moments before falling to the audience. They ran, jumped, twitched, and spoke to a cacophonous crescendo until, at last, their bodies were given reprieve. “Papillon” was, quite simply, one of the best things I’ve seen in the last four years.

In the future, it will be interesting to see how the “Bespoke” program develops under Leanne Benjamin’s leadership. As a launching pad for new works, it certainly has its place within the company’s wider institutional dramaturgy—it offers novel moments of variance within a heavily revived and classical repertoire. There is definitely a hunger for more productions like these; works that experiment with structure and form, and provide the opportunity to support local and First Nations artists. Olsen and Lister’s works, especially, have the potential to extend past this current season, and it would be a pity to see them fall into the graveyard of “Bespoke” premieres past.

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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