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Barbara Loots
As part of the 10th anniversary of the award-winning Figure of 8 Dance Theatre, the team behind this exceptional company concludes its three-month performance development program with, CONSTELLATIONS, performed by the nine performers who have benefited from the training.
CONSTELLATIONS is a dance production about coming home to yourself —connecting to your body and becoming present and mindful in movement and relationships while gazing at the endless possibilities of the future. The performance pieces that make up CONSTELLATIONS reflect on an exploration of life, its choices, and the infinite possibilities that shape our existence. It also has symbolic meaning in that Figure of 8 Dance Theatre can be seen as its own constellation, with its nine new trainee stars being sent out in search of the potential of their own stories, flickering as brightly as the stars in the night sky.
Given the fact that the show is the result of a short development period, the production is perhaps not as succinctly conceived as some of the other Figure of 8 Dance Theatre productions. The focus of the show is clearly putting the skills developed and honed during the 3-month program on full display. However, it would have elevated the impressive performance even more if the movements did not feel a bit disconnected from the set design that felt more like set dressing. The set elements include many interesting textural elements, but the dancers never really engage with these to a degree that it feels part of the performance. With the staging of CONSTELLATIONS the theatre space just does not feel as optimally used as with some of their previous productions.
CONSTELLATIONS does however give the trainees as much room as possible to show off their skills in a high-energy, entertaining fashion. That the talented performers are enjoying dancing as a troupe is undeniable. Jubilance breaks through every now and then; it simply cannot (and should not) be suppressed. Even in the more sombre moments of CONSTELLATIONS, hope, laughter and playfulness eventually breaks through.
The showcasing of a monologue (reflecting on sadness and hope found in broken things; a need to bring joy to those around you regardless of circumstance) in the middle of the dance routines, brings a sense of intimacy that creates nuanced emotions that amplifies the feelings communicated through movement.
The result of Figure of 8 Dance Theatre’s inaugural performance development program is the injection of great new talents into the arts community, and I can’t wait to see what heights these dancers reach through the joy of performing.
Book your tickets online through Webtickets, and join them for a performance of CONSTELLATIONS, as the stars of the nine performers align to entertain you with a tapestry of dancing that celebrates modern dance as a form of expression. CONSTELLATIONS is onstage at the Baxter Theatre until 16 November 2024.