Behind the veneer

Buzz Dance Theatre, is a company for children and young people, first offering for 2010 with a byline of ‘What are you willing to reveal?’ is highly energetic, relevant and captures the games and pitfalls we play very poetically.

Director, Cadi McCarthy developed a strong and spirited full length dance with six dancers that tells individual stories, speaks of society as a whole, and interweaving relationships that audiences can relate too. Its narrative moves from the individual with some slinkly executed moves by stylish Laura Boynes. The ensemble is completed by Peter Fares, David Mueller, Hayley Schmidt, Rhiannon Spratling, and James Welsby as they tackle themes of self-identity, investigating the facades we develop to hide and conceal our true identity. The duet dances that spoke of tension, conflict and love was punctuated by some very clever use of the hands to heads yielding and denying each other.

With the set of venetian blinds as barriers, concealers, revealers, window boxes, and the brick walls that border the theatre space the dance was always securing the same message – we are not always what we seem.

The youthful of the company made the message all the more poignant to that generation in the audience in terms of what they encounter when finding themselves, and is a credit to McCarthy bearing out relevance. Schmidt and Welsby also tackle some stronger themes of violence and resistance with great finesse and agility. There was humour too with ‘doll-like’ Boynes being manipulated by cheeky orchestrator, Welsby. The climax seemed to be personality show with composer Ben Collins striking a satirical chord, and McCarthy’s harnessing of the need to look beyond individual’s exterior to touch their core. She consistently returns to sharing and pairing which serves the piece well, and delivers some answers to a receptive audience.

Behind the Veneer

Bookings Mandurah
via MANPAC- 9550 3900 or online