We have come to expect bold and inventive works from EDC and this latest incarnation of Natalie Weir’s 'When Time Stops' is no exception.
Followers of dance may recall the original production which opened the 2013 Brisbane Festival programme and was nominated for both Helpmann and Australia Dance Awards that year.
Hailed as EDC's most ambitious work to date 'When Time Stops' is an abstract and ethereal journey that focuses on the final moments of a woman’s life – as her past rushes by on the cusp of death. These are the life-defining, fleeting moments that mark our existence, carve our personality, and shape our being.
In this instance – sixteen moments are revisited as self-contained vignettes. Some are sensual as in 'First Kiss' with dancers Rebecca Hall and Benjamin Chapman engaged in an erotic encounter. Some are rough as in 'Into The Wall'. Some are dramatic as in 'Cardiac' where the talented Elise Ma, and Thomas Gundry Greenfield explore one of the more dramatic moments with May hovering between life and death. Some are sexual, all are emotionally-charged.
The scene is set with 'The Ferryman' (guest dancer Thomas Gundry Greenfield) rowing purposefully to the other side. This is a metaphor for the soul’s journey to the hereafter and it works well. The three central male characters (Richard Clauser was absent due to injury) represent different figures in the woman’s life; her first love, a childhood friend and a dysfunctional relationship.
Bringing together 20 artists (9 dancers and 11 musicians) is no mean feat, but to deliver such a thought-provoking and challenging work is something else and it speaks highly of Natalie Weir’s creative vision.
While Bill Haycock’s wonderfully askew stage setting, combined with David Walters’ creative lighting provide a dream like quality to the work, it is Australian composer Iain Grandage’s original and daring score that binds the elements together. Performed live on stage by Queensland’s leading chamber orchestra, Camerata of St John's, the composition is a complex and layered piece that surprises at every turn.
Although this iteration of 'When Time Stops' is billed as a ‘return season’, we are treated to much, much more. This production is a reinvention, a recasting and reimagining of the original and proves once again why EDC is considered one of the best contemporary dance companies in the country. Don’t miss it. It is important.
★★★★★
'When Time Stops' performs Queensland Performing Arts Centre until 28 May.
