Botis Seva’s BLKDOG was a hip-hop performance that truly transversed from dance into theatre. It told an emotionally-gripping coming-of-age story with such clarity and strength that it took the expressive power of dance onto a whole new level.
BLKDOG started off with a bang and sustained this high-octane pace throughout. Cool lighting and the sound of dogs sniffing in the background suggested confinement for the solo performer who opened the show, before being joined by the other six performers. Together, they navigated the stage with incredible ease and precision, while their relationships morphed from child-like play to desire, violence and revenge.
Part of what made BLKDOG so expressive lay in the hand movements, where dancers ‘searched’ with their fingers, signed their emotions, pointed accusations and split their hands in the motion of a heartbreak. The dancers’ control of their lower bodies was equally impressive, often shuffling low on the tip of their toes, or making impossibly smooth arcs with their knees as they squat-walked.
Costume designer Ryan Dawson-Laight created iconic looks for the choreography that didn’t hinder any of the dancers’ dramatic movements but, instead, helped exemplify them, sometimes even in the shadows cast across the stage. The hood concealed individual identities, but could also be read as a form of comfort and protection, alongside the fear of being an outcast. Later, fabric spikes were added, running from hood to back like dinosaur onesies, while two performers were singled out with their crowns, who then found themselves in all sorts of trouble.
The score, created in collaboration with Torben Lars Sylvest, was moody and intense, perfectly translated into movement by the dancers and embodied in a physicality that matched its energy beat to beat. Lighting designer Tom Visser aided BLKDOG’s expressive storytelling with dynamic lighting choices, including light strips that used the contrast between brightness and darkness to create a slow-motion effect.
Read: Performance review: Kill Me, RISING, Sumner Theatre
Conceived in 2018 and trailblazing across European stages with the accolade of an Olivier Award – the highest honour in British theatre – BLKDOG lived up to its reputation.
More than just choreography to be enjoyed, BLKDOG was a solid reminder of the children we once were, and now as adults, the things that are still worth protecting.
BLKDOG
Director and Choreographer: Botis Seva
Music Composer: Torben Sylvest
Lighting Designer: Tom Visser
Costume Designer: Ryan Dawson-Laight
Dancers: Sebastian Harry, Penelope Klamert, Larissa Koopman, Corey Owens, Margaux Pourpoint, Max Revell, Rose Sall Sao
BLKDOG ran from 4-7 June at the Playhouse, Arts Centre Melbourne as part of RISING.
