Wednesday 24 June 2026

Photos by Pedro Grieg and Wendell Teodoro

Review by Paul Neeson (Arts Wednesday)

A single bird emerges from the dawn mist while the other inhabitants of the forest slumber. One by one they awaken and the age old rites of predator and prey unfold before us. At least that is how I saw it. This was the opening scene of Sydney Dance Company’s triple bill, Engine.

The first act in the trilogy was a reprise of Melanie Lane’s Love Lock. It was last performed in 2024 as part of SDC’s Twofold. Straight up I have to say her choreographic language is refreshingly unique, presenting a never-ending dichotomy of contrasts, pitting soloists against ensemble, speed and physicality against otherworldly dreamlike movements, even flat foot against tip toes. The ensemble came to life in fitful spasms, like a bubbling swamp, as one by one individuals were released from the primordial ooze. Whatever Lane’s intentions were, there was so much imagery evoked by the choreography our imaginations ran freely throughout the work.

The lighting design (Damien Cooper) became part of the dance as large spots raised and lowered as required. But special mention goes to the costumes (Akira Isogawa) that began with body-hugging shiny vinyl(?) and slowly throughout the piece colours were added – blues, greens, purple, yellows and reds – referencing the costumes of nostalgic folk dances as an antidote to the frantic accelerating pace of the modern world. The electronic score by Lane’s partner, UK composer Clark, was at times mesmerising and at others overwhelming. Again the contrasts pitted against each other.

The second act was The Mass Ornament by Spaniard, Fran Díaz. The full length green uniforms immediately leant a military feel to the piece, as did the uniformity of the precise ensemble work of the dancers. Díaz’s clever use of the group choreography created unusual shapes and meanings, and this was the standout feature of the work.

Henryk Górecki’s minimalist music was electronically reimagined to create a trance-like (but loud) backdrop to the work. At one point two massive speakers were lowered from the ceiling, eliciting suspense as to what would emanate from them. They hung over the dancers silently for quite a while before loud bass rumblings blasted the audience causing the chairs themselves to vibrate. A sensually stimulating effect, but the relevance to the dance was unclear. Military shelling perhaps?

If the first two works were shiny black (with colour highlights), followed by army green, the final work The Journey Itself Is Home was pure white. This was a new work from Artistic Director, Rafael Bonachela set to a score by Grammy Award–winning composer Bryce Dessner. It was inspired by the writing of 17th-century Japanese poet Matsuo Bashō. While there were no musical references to Japan, it was the haiku that informed the score using time signatures of 5 and 7 like the lines of the poetry. While the pulse of the music was often obscured by the heavy piano lines, it speaks to the amazing musicality of the dancers to maintain complex uber-physical movements within such a difficult time signature. As Piran Scott explains in the interview below, the dancers were encouraged to invent their own haiku poems while they were developing the work in rehearsal. Special mention goes to Kelsey Lee for the simple but effective Set and Costume Design with mirrored stage and starry light effect in the backdrop.

Engine was a collection of remounted, imported and premiering works. The contrasts and the versatility of the three artistic visions showed the strength of the ensemble and the elite level of the art form on display from the soloists. Each work told complex stories relevant to contemporary audiences while at the same time providing beautiful sensual entertainment that stimulated our minds and all our senses. Bravo Sydney Dance Co. and enjoy bringing this amazing triple bill to the rest of Australia.