Matrix is an Expressions Dance Company and Beijing Dance/LDTX cross-collaboration that performed at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre from 13th - 16th November. As I settled in my seat for the performance ahead, which included Auto Cannibal from Austaralian Choreographer Stephanie Lake (25 mins) and Encircling Voyage from Chinese Choreographer MA Bo (45 mins), Amy Hollingsworth, Artistic Director of Expressions Dance Company, spoke a few words on the Matrix production with her introductory speech and subsequently made the audience feel excited as to what would follow.
The first piece to this double bill was Stephanie Lake’s Auto Cannibal, and it is safe to say that I have not witnessed a piece like this before - and this is a fantastic achievement on the choreographer’s behalf. Both of the pieces in Matrix gradually progress into something you would not expect, and both were unique in their own way but I’ll start by saying that the first 25 minutes were extremely captivating and dare I say, a little frightening. Robix Fox, responsible for the Music in this piece, did a fantastic job of illuminating my worst nightmares in a soundscape that featured angelic voices singing dissonant tones.
The movements that accompanied this soundscape was anything but ordinary. It seemed that the performers were moving with their limbs sticking out at awkward angles which made for their general movement to be a rather unusual display. This was a challenging aspect, especially paired with the soundscape, that made the performance gripping from start to finish. Auto Cannibal featured a series of complex movements that impacted each of the surrounding dancers in different ways. It almost like the performance piece was portraying the very essence of life, and showing how each and every element will affect another element in space and time.
Encircling Voyage was the second piece to the puzzle of Matrix and this was choreographed by Beijing Dance/LDTX’s MA Bo. Whilst the first piece was almost confronting with its angular movements and sharp edges, Encircling Voyage seemed to feature movement similar to that of traditional ballet and was softer in tone. Whilst the piece may have been delicate in movement, that is not to say that it had a lack of complexity as there was plenty that occured within the 45 minutes. To describe Encircling Voyage is to describe multiple pieces to a puzzle all working together. There was never only one activity on the stage happening at any given point for this second act.
Encircling Voyage utilised all parts of the stage and featured more props as part of the performance. There were so many unique elements to this performance that made it a display of visual poetry. It was clear that the choreographer was quite intune to the theme of ‘rebirth’ and had a keen eye for storytelling through dance. Where Auto Cannibal challenged through the possibilities of movement through dance, Encircling Voyage presented to me the beauty in the cyclical nature of life. I feel as though each of the acts in the performance had powerful messages that audience members could think about long after they left their seats.
Beijing - September 20 – 21
Tianjin - September 22
Cairns, Cairns Performing Arts Centre - November 1
Queanbeyan, The Q - The Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre - November 7 – 8
Brisbane, QPAC - November 13 – 16
Hong Kong, City Contemporary Dance Festival - November 19 and 20
Photo by Yin Peng
Review by Joanna Letic