The Red Shoes

Elise May and Benjamin Chapman. Image by Chris Herzfeld, Camlight Productions.

Expressions Dance Company (EDC) brings the world premiere season of their new contemporary dance performance, The Red Shoes, to QPAC until 26 July.

Inspired by the Hans Christian Anderson story of the same name and the 1948 film, The Red Shoes follows dancer Victoria as she battles an overpowering obsession. A story within a story, we initially see Victoria performing in her company’s season of The Red Shoes where she is met with applause and accolades from her director. As Victoria removes her red shoes in her dressing room, she is overcome with their spirit and begins to spiral into madness, rejecting her lover and soul mate and thinking only about the red shoes. While she considers her obsession with dancing, she recalls her first audition for the company and we see the young Victoria, desperate to be the best and becoming trapped in her quest for perfection. As she loses her grip on reality, her lover leaves and she enters a dream sequence where the Weeping Angel and the Dark Angel fight over the curse of the red shoes and Victoria’s spirit. Although the curse is lifted, Victoria is lost to her obsession and when her final performance ends, her world is no more.

This complex narrative offers the opportunity for some rich storytelling, which EDC achieve with a blend of dance, music and film. The choreography, by Artistic Director Natalie Weir, and the design, by Bruce McKinven, are both visually stunning, creating a performance that is simply beautiful to watch. With movement that is flowing and unrestricted, the dance is emotive and powerful, capturing the essence of The Red Shoes without losing the spectacle of the dance to narrative.

Sue Healey’s original film is also an interesting accompaniment to the dance. This is particularly true in the way it enhances the dream sequences and blurs the lines of Victoria’s reality. The use of red fabric as part of McKinven’s design provides a shifting and distorting backdrop, while the forest sequence assists in offering a sense of time and space to the curse of the red shoes, which will not stop dancing, and to Victoria’s final descent into madness.

The cast is outstanding overall although special mention must go to Elise May in the lead role of Victoria where she is graceful and commanding, with exquisite dancing and an excellent portrayal of both the beauty and the flaws of the character. Jack Ziesing is also excellent as The Lover and it is good to see young and emerging dancers forming the support cast.

Outstanding mention must also go to Southern Cross Soloists who perform a live score throughout the performance. This orchestral accompaniment is a performance in its own right but blends beautifully with the choreography to create a vibrancy on stage that captivates the audience.

Although it feels slow paced in parts, The Red Shoes offers audiences an excellent experience, matching skilled dancing with striking visuals and haunting melodies. It is well worth making the trip to QPAC to see this powerful and emotive piece of work – perhaps accompanying it with a visit to the temporary night noodle market which is currently in residence on South Bank for Good Food Month. Although be aware that the popularity of the market means that parking can be difficult so be sure to allow some extra time for this.