Company B Queensland Ballet dancers. Photograph David Kelly.
In the words of the Artistic Director of Queensland Ballet, Li Cunxin, ‘Lest we Forget uses the power of dance to present a poignant reflection on war, as we remember those who have served and those who were left behind.’
Lest we Forget was a triple bill with three choreographers sharing their expertise, including Ma Cong presenting In the Best Moments followed by Natalie Weir’s We Who are Left and finally Paul Taylor’s Company B.
Ma Cong’s In the Best Moments, inspired by The Hours Suite by Phillip Glass, was a beautiful piece. For most of the performance couples were intertwined, dressed simply in cream with a splashes of yellow, orange or red. The couples moved gracefully with each other through traditional lifts and more modern moves, with long strong lines throughout. Unfortunately, however, the concentration and thinking behind each step was clearly visible on their faces. For the night’s performance there were pairings of couples from Queensland Ballet that had not been frequently seen together previously. This showed me, on a technical level at least, they had the ability to dance with new partners.
Although billed as a piece about war, it showed the emotions of what it is like to be human being, the connection between people, how love is a beacon in a dark world and how humanity can rebuild itself when at times there is no hope.
Lest We Forget showed the skill of the dancers, the grace and strength but ultimately the trust in each other to carry each other emotionally and physically. Throughout the performance the dancers were almost ‘at war’ with their own bodies keeping the dance captivating unpredictability.
Natalie Weir’s We Who Are Left was a very dark, sombre piece. With the grey set creating an atmosphere of a storm ready to hit. The choreography was inspired by Benjamin Britten’s The War Requiem. This piece again covered the themes of love, loss and survival. We Who Are Left, seemed a lot more effortless than the previous piece. All the Best Moments showed much more feeling as the dancers moved across the stage; with an outstanding performance by principal Clare Morehen. The way she moved with and around those boots expressed that man who wore them meant the world to her. Jack Lister as The Man Who Lived has shown incredible growth as a dancer and ​this showed in his expressions. All The Best Moments had steps of classical ballet which was lovely to experience from Natalie as she is more known these days as a contemporary choreographer. All The Best Moments was an emotionally draining piece and the dancers gave it all they had.
The final piece, Paul Taylor’s Company B explores the song and dance culture of the 40s. The hit songs of The Andrew Sisters were played including Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy and Rum and Coca-Cola. Company B did not feature much ballet steps as the East Coast Swing and Jitterbug took over the stage.
Full of energy with huge infectious smiles on their faces, as always Terri Crilly shone and Vito Bernasconi played a suave character perfectly, while Camilo Ramos with his high leaps and playing up to the girls made us all forget for at least for awhile that the war is not happening.
Queensland Ballet has delivered yet another beautiful production.
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
Lest We Forget
Queensland Ballet
Company B
Choreographer Paul Taylor
Songs sung by the Andrews Sisters
Staged for this production by Richard Chen See
Costume Designer Santo Loquasto
Lighting Designer Jennifer Tipton
In The Best Moments
Choreographer Ma Cong
Music Philip Glass, The Hours Suite
Lighting Designer David Walters
Costume Designer Noelene Hill
Set Designer Thomas Boyd
Commissioned by Queensland Ballet and Queensland Performing Arts Centre
We Who Are Left
Choreographer Natalie Weir
Music Benjamin Britten, War Requiem
Lighting Designer David Walters
Costume Designer Noelene Hill
Commissioned by Queensland Ballet and Queensland Performing Arts Centre​
