Shanghai Beauty

Shanghai Beauty, the first work in the inaugural Kenneth Myer Asian Theatre Series was presented by the Jin Xing Dance Theatre and played to a thin but mostly appreciative audience.

Kenneth Myer is a generous patron of the arts, (as is the extended Myer Family), with a particularly strong interest in catalyzing awareness and understanding of Asian culture. This is the first of an intended new biennial program planning to showcase contemporary Asian theatre works.

The program notes state that Jin Xing, who is the lead dancer in the work is “China’s finest dancer and most famous and successful choreographer….a major figure in contemporary dance on the world stage” …but this performance showed little evidence of such achievements.

The work commences with a projected sight-sound montage of Jin Xing being elaborately made up in a traditional dance costume. The sound track has a deep, subtle beat almost like a distant helicopter, and the projection seemed to sometimes freeze often marred by technical flaws.

The dance work commences with the performers in a geometric matrix grid, sometimes rotated, sometimes distorted by the inflection of heads or the dancers rolling on the ground, accompanied by a dense zither-like music. Jin Xing comes onto the stage dancing with high and deep hand arches, almost martial-art like in their sweeping movements. Joined later by a male dancer, the couple present a tight pas des deux, and when the company returned in full, the male dancers perform a highly rhythmic slapping dance interspersed by the sound of body self-slaps with unified breathing (the male dancers performed the best part of this work, holding form with discipline and projecting a certain individuality). One scene particularly of note was a single male dancer spotlighted and set against a stark black background performing along a slowly unfolding and angular line much of it from the ground.

In several dances Bach (or something very closely resembling the style of a JS Bach Invention for keyboard) was used to accompany the dancers. This might have opened up the possibility to layer the dance in a contrapuntal manner but instead a spirited if unimaginative interpretation was offered. Throughout the performance, the dancing was solid, but there were also trips and a fall.

The work concluded with the matrix now reformed around Jin Xing who was dressed in the elaborate costume and make-up of the opening projections. The matrix spun centrifugally disposing of dancers and leaving Jin Xing at the centre.

That choreography summed up the central weakness in the production, which, if you were harsh, might be described as something of a vanity work, focused predominantly on the lead to the detriment of the creative potential in the company. I found the production, while not without some high spots, to be somewhat unimaginative. The middling interest this performance generated with the public and the lackluster qualities of this work would have to be a disappointment for Myer, (there were no opening fireworks here), but let’s hope the series strengthens and interest grows in what is an important and worthwhile project.