Decadance Perth 2016

Published : September 17, 2016

By Juanita Pirozzi

The MoveMe Festival featured Decadance Perth 2016, which debuted at the Heath Ledger Theatre on Thursday 15 September 2016. Choreographed by Ohad Naharin, it featured 16 talented performers from STRUT Dance entertaining the audience with the movement language known as Gaga.

The Decadance repertory featured mostly group dances consisting of powerful urban, pop, and African inspired background music, which gave the artists freedom to express the meaning of their performances. Elements of love, acceptance, individuality, and amusement were reflected in various ways.

Audience participation was the main attraction to Decadance. After the initial dance segments, all 16 dancers dressed in black fedora hats and suits took their choreographed steps off the stage towards the rows of seats in the theatre. They fanned out amongst the audience looking for fresh faces to join them. With an up tempo version of Somewhere Over the Rainbow playing in the background, the audience cheered once the hand-picked men and women were escorted to the stage. Laughter, wolf whistles, and applause filled the theatre as the newly appointed dancers literally enjoyed their moment in the spotlight.

There was also an emotive aspect within the Decadance repertory. A trio consisting of one male and two female dancers, whose combined efforts to remain loyal to one another, reflected the conflict that occurs within a love triangle. A couple’s dance performed by two males, showed the love between a same-sex couple, which raises the issue of social acceptance.

A strong display of conformity was evident in a group dance number where all 16 dancers formed a semi-circle in their fold up chairs. This performance revealed how despite the majority of people bowing to society’s pressures, there will always be some who stay true to themselves. The issue of respecting individualism presented itself in another group dance, where performers expressed themselves with their palms, their torsos and even some, shall we say, cheeky revelations.

Overall Decadance Perth 2016 was a thoroughly entertaining, thought provoking, and inspiring performance. The heightened energy and physicality of the dancers enabled them to stay in sync with each other’s steps along with the musical cues.

Decadance Perth 2016 will also be performed at the State Theatre Centre of WA on Friday 16 and Saturday 17 September 2016 at 7.30pm.