Dance: Rogue – Malthouse Theatre
By Amy Macpherson • Mar 27th, 2009 • Section: Performance, Reviews
Rogue
Malthouse Theatre
March 11 – 15, 2009.
Rogue is a collective of contemporary dancers that formed after graduating from the Victorian College of the Arts in 2006. The group, which participated in the Kickstart Next Wave Festival program, going on to perform The Counting and Ocular Proof in the 2008 Next Wave Festival, is now a part of the Dance Massive Festival with a triple bill; A Volume Problem, choreographed by Byron Perry; The Counting, by Antony Hamilton; and PUCK by the Rogue dancers.
The evening begins with A Volume Problem, with the stage lights focussing on a box with fake grass on top and dancers crowded around. There are small speakers on top of the box and they are moved about as if they are people. The theme is population growth and auditory response feedback, with the speakers used as a representation of this.
The work is structured episodically – the lights and music fade between each section, disturbing the flow of the piece. The work, consisting of solos, duets and trios, is slick and tightly choreographed. As the dancers move closer to one another, each receives a physical response – similar to the way that holding a mobile phone to a speaker will cause a crackling noise.
The Counting is a highly percussive, disjointed work, but with a bass line that flows right through. The rhythm of the bass is irresistible, pulsating over and over until you can’t help but get lost within it. This continuousness prevents the work from becoming choppy or disconnected. The dancers either move with the beat, or they move through it – Hamilton stamping the piece with strong choreographic choices.
Quirky costume decisions also see the dancers rotate through grey, nondescript clothing – drawing focus to the movement – to white singlets with blue or orange pants.
Internal rhythms of the body are used as stimulus – in one duet, I imagine each dancer’s lungs filling and releasing oxygen, the ventricles of the heart pushing blood into the arteries as their movements begin proximally before being driven to the distal ends of limbs.
PUCK is the last on the program, and as the title suggests, it is playful and meddlesome. It is an audience interactive – the viewer’s turn to have some fun.
A Streets ice-cream vendor walks along the front of the audience. She takes out a bicycle bell, rings it, and suddenly the dancers onstage strike a new posotion – arms above their heads. They continue to move with the ringing of the bell, introducing the audience to the game. You make the sound, they make the move.
The control shifts to the audience, which is quite exciting. One person rings the bell four times in a row inhibiting their ability to move past the first position. I was handed the bell at one stage and must admit I did enjoy the power trip!
Next, other toys are handed out – squeaky balls and robots. These might cause the dancers to change formation, go to another section of the movement or break out of unison.
PUCK progresses through neutrality, desperation, tiredness, to forced fake laughter and happiness. Towards the end two dancers begin to cry, stopping immediately as they get a new instruction from the audience.
To finish, the bell is taken back, returning the dancers to the initial position and signalling a black out.
The triple bill is entertaining, and provides a little something for everyone. The pieces are not so grand as the group’s Next Wave debut, but a more intimate and personable performance. Certainly a highly enjoyable night for all involved.
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