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.