image: Jorge de Araujo
There is a diversity among dance styles that is rarely experienced in a single evening. Variety often exists only with inconsistency, yet I can’t fault the creation of Nat Cursio’s “Private Dances II”: a night filled with 8 dance film works and 11 live creations, incredible and intimate tasters of performers and styles. I felt like Alice in Wonderland, giggling in wrong places, watching collaged works with dancing foxes and clambering into a van for some up-close-and-personal dance action.
Half cocktail party, half performance, the audience mills around, waiting to be led two by two into individual rooms or tents where dancers perform their short works. A different experience develops for each audience member, the chance to debrief in the cloak of half-darkness between pieces adding to the sense of mystery and chance.
It’s an enchanting idea, and over the course of the night I was exposed to Vogueing, Indian dance, African dance, Hip Hop and an array of contemporary works. Each is an intimate encounter; over too soon, it keeps you hunting for more. Intercepted with bite-sized deserts and cocktails in milk bottles (did I shrink six inches drinking that?), the oddness of this work appealed to me greatly, and I felt excited to be able to share the gems of dance with people who have had less exposure to this art form.
This is the second time around for such a night, and my eyes will be peeled for the third. Such experiences come around all too rarely, but jumping down the rabbit hole is well worth your time.
Showing: Aug 28-31; Northcote Town Hall
Curator / Creative Director: Nat Cursio
Set Design: Kat Chan
Lighting Design: Rose Connors Dance
Production Manager: Emily O’Brien
Maitre D: Simon Kingsley Hall
Program Co-ordinator / Curator’s assistant: Ely Elsass
Producer: Lee Cumberlidge, Insite Arts
Live performances by: Atlanta Eke, Appiah Annan, Efren Pamilacan, Fiona Bryant, Gabrielle Nankivell + Luke Smiles, Hasini Wickramasekera, Jade Dewi Tyas Tunggal, James Welsby, Lily Paskas, Soo Yeun You and 2nd Toe Collective.
Film works by: Sue Healey (NSW), Deborah Kelly (NSW), Simon Ellis (UK), Sam Fox (WA), Kristy Ayre + Nick Roux, Eugenia Lim, Alice Dixon + Caroline Meaden and Zoe Scoglio.