DANCE Horizon, Bangarra Dance Theatre ★★★★ Arts Centre Melbourne, until September 7 This triple bill of new works is a tour from horizon to horizon, from the islands of the Torres Strait to Lake Taupo in New Zealand, featuring commissions by Sani Townson, Deborah Brown and Maori artist Moss Te Ururangi Patterson. Choreographer Deborah Brown with dancers Amber Gordan, left, and Courtney Radford, right at a dress rehearsal ahead of Horizon. Credit: Eddie Jim The evening begins with Kulka by Townson, a work reflecting on totem lore and the cultural heritage of Saibai Island.
It has a busy, aerobic rhythm, with frequent group unison passages where simple lifts with trailing blue skirts recall rolling waves. Townson’s choreography is complemented by – and sometimes in competition with – elaborate video designs projected onto the floor and reflected in a huge mirror. It’s a device that works best in the section dedicated to Koedalaw Awgadh, the crocodile god.
Brown also connects her piece, Salt Water , with the island culture of the Torres Strait. She focuses particularly on the western island of Badu and eastern island of Mer, from which she traces her ancestral lineage. Like Townson’s piece, Salt Water has a steady, bustling energy.
The highlight is its evocation of a submerged reef. Contorted bodies create an underwater vista, while small, jerky movements of the hands suggest the brittleness of coral skeletons. A scene from The Light Inside as part of Horizon.
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