Melbourne gets a visit from Sydney-based Bangarra Dance Theatre, just three months after hosting them for a spectacular collaboration with Australian Ballet. The unusual triple bill features a gothic lament, a short work, and a dance film.

Bangarra Dance Theatre is a leading Australian dance company renowned for its innovative and often provocative performances. Their return to Melbourne after a relatively short period is unusual and suggests a significant interest in showcasing their work in the city.

The triple bill features Sheoak, a long work by Frances Rings, and Keeping Grounded, a short work by Glory Tuohy-Daniell. The programme also includes a dance film created by Cass Mortimer Eipper and company dancer Daniel Mateo.

Sheoak is a haunting and poignant work that explores themes of cultural survival and ancestral connection. The dance is set against a dark and atmospheric backdrop, with the use of black-and-white costumes and skeletal remains creating a sense of foreboding.

The other two works on the programme are by emerging choreographers. Keeping Grounded is a reflection on the need to return to earth in a tech-frazzled world and is staged around, under, and inside a vast net suspended over the stage.

The Australian Chamber Choir undertook a wide-ranging survey of unaccompanied choral music that in various ways celebrated the influence of 19th-century Romanticism. They performed in the sumptuous resonance of the Carmelite church at Middle Park.

The highlight of the concert was undoubtedly the rendition of Brahms' Warum ist das Licht gegeben, brought to life by Primarily under the direction of Douglas Lawrence and the choir's full heft in the rhetorical utterances. Touching intimacy was achieved in Rheinberger's Abendlied, and elements of solemn grandeur were brought to Bruckner's Christus factus est.

From different sides of the Atlantic came works emblematic of national mourning: Elgar's Nimrod from the Enigma Variations arranged by Elizabeth Anderson as Lux Aeterna and Samuel Barber's Agnus Dei, his arrangement of the celebrated adagio from his String Quartet.

Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence showcased the appealing warmth and solidity of the lower voices, while Barber's Twelfth Night benefited from crystalline diction.

Australian Chamber Choir's welcome contribution to Melbourne's choral scene whets the appetite for more.

The performance was held at Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Middle Park on June 21.

The Australian Ballet's collaboration with Sydney-based Bangarra Dance Theatre was a major hit in Melbourne earlier this year, and their return to the city has been eagerly anticipated by dance enthusiasts.

Key Facts

  • Bangarra Dance Theatre returns to Melbourne after a three-month period.
  • The triple bill features Sheoak by Frances Rings, a gothic lament, Keeping Grounded by Glory Tuohy-Daniell, and a dance film by Cass Mortimer Eipper and Daniel Mateo.
  • The programme includes a vast net suspended over the stage in Keeping Grounded.
  • The Australian Chamber Choir performed a wide-ranging survey of unaccompanied choral music in the Carmelite church at Middle Park on June 21.
  • The choir celebrated the influence of 19th-century Romanticism in their performance.
  • The concert included works emblematic of national mourning, such as Elgar's Nimrod from the Enigma Variations and Samuel Barber's Agnus Dei.

Bangarra Dance Theatre has been a major force in Australian dance, known for its innovative and often provocative performances. Their return to Melbourne after a relatively short period suggests a significant interest in showcasing their work in the city.

The Story Behind the Dance

Sheoak, the long work by Frances Rings, is a haunting and poignant exploration of themes of cultural survival and ancestral connection. The dance is set against a dark and atmospheric backdrop, with the use of black-and-white costumes and skeletal remains creating a sense of foreboding.

Bangarra Dance Theatre's return to Melbourne is a significant event in the city's dance scene. Their triple bill, featuring Sheoak, Keeping Grounded, and a dance film, promises to be a memorable experience for dance enthusiasts.