Merge is Sydney Dance Company's dance director Amy Hollingsworth's favourite work in The Land of Yes & The Land of No, which opens tonight at the Canberra Theatre.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Extracts from Merge, with a backdrop of fluorescent lines of light, and Diversion were performed for the media yesterday from the road sign-inspired piece choreographed by artistic director Rafael Bonachela with music composed by Ezio Bosso.
''It's a beautiful duet,'' said Hollingsworth, for whom Bonachela originally created the work. ''It's two people and when they find each others' rhythm they're in perfect harmony. It's about two flows of cars merging, but as people when we enter into a relationship we compromise and love and understand. Once the two dancers touch they don't let go until the end of the duet.''
The Land of Yes & The Land of No was a work that Bonachela toured extensively in Europe with his London-based Bonachela Dance Company in 2009. He has revised the performance with an expanded cast, from six to 16, from the Sydney Dance Company.
''Merge was actually created on me by Raf,'' Hollingsworth said.
''I was his assistant director there as well as one of the dancers and when he got the job here he invited me to come home. It was quite ironic being invited home by a Spaniard.''
The Land of Yes & The Land of No work was the first conceptual collaboration between Bonachela and composer Bosso and has dances inspired by road signs such as one way, speed limit and roundabout.
''A lot of people who have watched Rafael's work know Ezio's music for they have worked together for a substantial amount of time, but this was the first piece that was composed simultaneously to the choreography,'' Hollingsworth said.
''They both started from the same creative point - the 11 street signs we worked from to build the piece. Ezio worked away with those 11 signs and Raf walked away with them and they composed and choreographed simultaneously whereas, with all the other pieces they had done before, Raf had choreographed to specific pieces of music.''
With The Land of Yes & The Land of No, Bonachela presents a deep exploration into the human psyche, the power of imagination and the body's ability to give physical shape to memory, experience and emotions.
The piece is wrought from the many signs and symbols that rule our everyday lives and spark hidden memories. It is an abstract, intensely emotive and highly physical work.
Set designer Alan Macdonald is best known for his work on films The Queen, The Edge of Love and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.
