The Memory Progressive
Phantom Limbs
45 Downstairs
Thursday 25th February 2010, 8pm
It is great to walk out of the theatre and feel satisfied that a piece makes sense to itself. The Memory Progressive was attempting to unravel memory and its role in todays world. I think as far as any piece of performance that aims to explore a broad idea like this it was successful.
The work felt finished – and that is a credit to the young choreographers (Amy McPherson and James Welsby) and a testament to proper funding, enough time and venue support. All the elements came together to support the ideas;
The dance was super tight, solid partnering and patterning developing a mood of almost constant movement – hypnotic and dreamlike. Returning motifs underlined the falling away, the fragmentation of our remembered experience over time. The dancers were well matched and it felt like the material sat well with all of them.
(I was reminded a lot of Balletlab in this piece and i also got a bit of early Lucy Guerin with it too in her works about technology and the body (and a section quite similar to the knife trio from Tense Dave??).)
The sound (James P. Brown) was layered and pulsing and had its own voice in the piece – the bass vibrations rumbling through a cavernous 45 Downstairs (which looked great btw). I particularly liked a section where walkie-talkies were used and the choice to drown out what was being said with the soundscape meant a more poetic take on the moment. After using headphones, balaclavas, eyemasks and a camera it may have been gimmicky and overkill to hear all that was being said.
The references to ink blots in the short video sequences mirrored the movement below it. The digital stripping of imagery and fast paced grabs of media and personal footage mimicking the brain’s function.
My only criticism of the piece was Amy McPherson’s solo which showed off her extraordinary flexibility in her lower back but did not resolve as being anything else. In such a dramaturgically tight piece this was the only disappointing moment for me.
Overall I felt it was a really strong piece of work and I look forward to their next project which is with choreographer Luke George in April.
I was so reminded of BalletLab it was strange,
Did Phillip Adams see this work of work with them
I think they tried really hard but missed the mark.
The music was whatever
Not sure really how to pass judgement but I guess they are a young ensemble
lachlan
I think younger artists are going to suck up the influences of the companies that are in their city.
When Forced Entertainment brought their groundbreaking show A Bloody Mess to Melbourne there was suddenly an explosion of companies doing similar things.
I think I was enamoured by the fact that they had put together a production that was so tight, regardless of the influences.