CLOUD SPLIT

There’s something truly special about being present when art is created for the first time. That’s the premise behind Tracks Dance Company’s Darwin Festival offering, Cloud Split, as dancers take to the stage, who like the audience, are unsure of how the next hour of their craft will unfold.

^{By Tierney White}

UNDER THE GUIDANCE of choreographer and Tracks Associate Artistic Director Jessica Devereux, dancers Kelly Beneforti and SJ Spillett have collaborated to create this unique improvised dance work.

Responding to prompts from Devereux during an explorational rehearsal period, they’ve created a blueprint for five unique performances, meaning no two shows will be the same.

“I might describe physically what I’m seeking – things like giving and receiving, call and responding, slowness and fast pace– so I’m trying to find these dualities that complement and contrast each other,” Devereux says.

“Giving the dancers just enough to start something, find a movement quality, and then they can take it where they want to take it for seven minutes, until the next idea begins.”

Also contributing to the element of the unknown are soundscapes by James Mangohig.

“[The dancers] have been given opportunities to respond to James’ sound during the rehearsal process, so he’ll give us short, enticing snippets or rough cuts of music, and the dancers build an open relationship with the sound,” Devereux says.

Tracks, known for large-scale outdoor performances as their Darwin Festival performance, Devereux encourages audience members to think beyond the walls of the studio, just as the dancers will be.

“The show, in my mind, is set in what I’m calling an aerial ocean, and so there’s an openness to the sky, and an openness to ground, but there’s a horizon line and the panorama – we’re trying to go for the feeling of expansiveness and reflection in a small intimate space,” she says.

“We’re inviting audiences into the Tracks Studio … and they’ll be very close to the dancers. I’m looking and asking the dancers to find that expansiveness that we have here in NT… I’m thinking of the clouds splitting vertically between the ocean and the sky, but also splitting sideways, so there’s a sense of this three-dimensional approach to movement.”

Adding to the concept of expansiveness are exquisite environmental projections by Duane Preston.

If you’re keen to see something special, and to experience expansiveness within four walls, Cloud Split is where you need to be.

Cloud Split
WHEN FRI 16 AUG, 7PM | SAT 17 AUG, 3PM & 7PM | SUN 18 AUG, 3PM & 7PM
AT TRACKS DANCE STUDIO
COST $25-$30
INFO tracksdance.com.au | darwinfestival.org.au

_{Photo: Duane Preston}