Truly Memorable

Last weekend ‘Sigh Memory’ was memorably sigh-able! I gave several sighs of contentment because the dancers were really good and professional, the choreography first class, the set and lights minimal and effective, the dramatic original score brilliant. The cage cum play apparatus cum prison cum whatever was a utilized superbly… what more could you ask for when you go to see contemporary dance.

Even better, the program made no deference or reference to the fact that the dancers were hearing impaired. They were dancers competing as equals with any other reputable company and they shone.

The abstract scenario was credible and provided an emotive skeleton for the dancers to weave and interact around… I’d have loved to have been part of the work-shopping of the piece to see how it developed. It must have been a fascinating process.

The company has traveled overseas with its work, and with ‘Sigh Memory’ it has another applaudable festival presentation. I thought it was about ten minutes too long but that’s probably a fault of my attention span, not that of the company’s presentation.

My last sigh of contentment was that the choreography was very grounded. Perhaps that’s a result of the dancers not being classically trained. Perhaps it’s intuitive. Probably it was the effect of a brilliant and empathetic choreographer.

Such a pity that the season was only 2 nights long! It deserved much, much more.

So much great cultural stuff in the last chilly breaths of an old year has been phenomenal. 2009 is sighing out truly memorably.