Sid’s Waltzing Masquerade runs until 15 November 2008.
The Sydney Dance Company is back in Brisbane with a stunning production – Sid’s Waltzing Masquerade. From the moment the amazingly talented Bradley Chatfield was lowered from the ceiling in a gilt chair, lip-syncing to a torch song, the audience was transported into another realm.
Chatfield is Sid and this is his birthday (at least that’s how I deciphered things) – his friends and family gather and dance with him, for him and away from him. There are moments of love, laughter, longing (sexual and spiritual). There are hierarchies, mateship and alienation. Sid’s birthday is a dream, a fantasy and a metaphor for much bigger issues.
For the first half hour, I tried to create a narrative, to link what I was seeing to a story, but I gradually gave up trying to make a linear journey out of the exquisite sequences and let myself engage with them as beautiful, emotional moments that I didn’t need to understand. It’s a tall order for someone who’s hardwired to story, who sees connections and narratives in everything, but it’s well worth doing. If you can switch off the analytical part of your brain, you’ll be able to sit spellbound, mouth agape as you witness the amazing feats human bodies are capable of performing.
Aszure Barton is the choreographer and creator of Sid’s Masquerading Waltz. After the tragic loss last year of new artistic director Tanja Liedtke, Sydney Dance Company decided to use three guest choreographers, rather than appoint an immediate replacement. It’s certainly been a good tactic with Barton. She brings a joy and lightness to the stage, a whimsy and sensuality that make for breathtaking viewing.
The ensemble of dancers is astonishing. Not content with being brilliant dancers, they are also acrobats and singers. They perform a vast array of dance styles, switching from one to the other in a fraction of a beat. We get to see sexy Latin dancing, hip-hop acrobatics, Gene Kelly manoeuvres and lots of contemporary expression.
Highlights for me were Chen Wen’s fluidity and athleticism, Annabel Knight’s seriously saucy hip wiggles, Reed Luplau’s impossible lightness of foot, Connor Dowling’s impressive voice as he burst into song while dancing and Bradley Chatfield’s awesome command of the stage. But these are just moments of magic taken at random from an hour of unbelievable energy and brilliance.
Gerard Manion’s austere set works well for the piece and Trudy Dagleish’s lighting is very impressive, putting the audience in the harsh glare of the spotlight for a moment as the dancers size us up. Aszure Barton chose an eclectic collection of songs and music, ranging from Beethoven to Rolf Harris, and George Gorga makes the most of the sound design’s challenges.
For me, the most stunning design element was Michelle Jank’s costumes. Think haute couture with a bit of bondage and you’ll be getting the feel for these incredible designs. The men wore classic suits, predominately all in black, with the birthday boy in grey, looking a little bit reminiscent of Doctor Evil! But it was the women who stole the show in the glamorous gowns and light as air skirts.
Sid’s Waltzing Masquerade runs until 15 November and I urge you to do yourself a favour and book your tickets now. You’ll be out of the theatre and heading home by 9pm, but you’ll have experienced something breathtaking and unexpected, that should last with you in your imagination and dreams for a long while.
If you don’t want to take my word for how good this show is, watch a bit of it yourself!
