In a world in which we are all so used to the grammar of the screen, it is perhaps no surprise to see a choreographer trying to bring dance and film together in a truly meaningful way. With Motion Picture, Lucy Guerin has succeeded in creating an ingenious and utterly compelling cross-pollination of celluloid and stage.
Working from the base set down by Rudolph Maté’s 1950 noir classic DOA Guerin and her ensemble begin by transcribing the action into movement before gradually veering away from the film’s narrative and into pure dance phrasing. As an audience we cannot help but crane our necks at first to reference the original film projected behind us but as the piece evolves this becomes unnecessary.
Guerin’s incredibly clever and supple choreography is brilliantly underscored by the technical aspects of this show, especially Benjamin Cisterne’s evocative lighting design. Together with the superb performers (Alisdair Macindoe and Stephanie Lake outstanding among them), they offer us both narrative hooks and the sheer delight of elegant, expressive dance.
Motion Picture is refreshingly simple and original and it’s performed with a verve and skill that make it stand apart from much of the current mainstream of Australian contemporary dance. Daring, humour and sheer inventiveness are front and centre here, and our enjoyment is surely testament to their superior application in this instance.
