Clouds Above Berlin

A double bill of contemporary Australian choreography

First published on 5 Jun 2012. Updated on 10 Sep 2012.

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The atmosphere at the Opera House for Rafael Bonachela’s Spring Dance is surprisingly festival-esque – audience members exit one show to enter the next; crowds line up to buy merch from the bar (I [heart] Spring Dance badges glitter throughout the foyer); and punters linger on lounges between shows with a glass of bubbly, catching a glimpse of the dancers projected over the walls.

This festival vibe aids in encouraging an open mind amongst audiences; a state that is of benefit to Spring Dance’s most multi-artform production, Melanie Lane and Antony Hamilton’s Clouds Above Berlin.

The first act of this double bill, Lane's Tilted Fawn, presents a simple but captivating world of experiment and child’s play. Whilst the monotone of the performance is surprisingly intriguing, Tilted Fawn’s brief flashes of movement are a welcome interruption. In this interlude, Lane moves with skill and precision in ways that not only appear to defy gravity, but makes ones ankles hurt in observing.

Hamilton's Black Project 1 is the antidote for any feelings of dissatisfaction from the slow pace of the first act. Black Project 1 gives us a post-apocalyptic world, mesmerizing in its synchronicity. The two dancers move across the stage to a haunting soundtrack, with moments of revelation in which one is unsure what is lights, projections or paint.

The most cross-artform of the Spring Dance season, Clouds Above Berlin involves many beautiful moments, from the simple swinging of sound in a box to highly detailed (and just plain cool) projection mapping. The downfall lies in that many of the finest ideas of the show are sustained too long, minimising their affect.

Words by Rachel Chant |

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