Dance thrills at the Perth Festival 2021

Three dance experiences will enliven the Perth Festival 2021 from 5 February next year, leading with a trio of works by West Australian Ballet (WAB) including two world premieres, as the company returns to the Quarry Amphitheatre.

4Seasons, a summary of the stages of life and love – the eternal youth of spring, the storm clouds of summer, the tenderness of autumn and the aging of winter – is set to Max Richter’s reimagining of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. In the world premiere of Heartache, WAB dancers; artistic director, Aurélien Scannella; and principal rehearsal director and artistic associate, Sandy Delasalle, come together to present a journey through one man’s reflection on his life. Heartache has been choreographed by Sandy Delasalle, Polly Hilton, Jesse Homes, Matthew Lehmann, Claire Voss & Jack Whiter.

Finally, Juan Carlos Osma and Dayana Hardy Acuña’s Moment of Joy, which was inspired by the COVID-19 restrictions, highlights touch as a direct, immediate and spontaneous way of expressing our emotions. Moment of Joy will be accompanied by the piano of WAB head of music, Michael Brett.

Perth Festival has also commissioned an evening of dance at The Rechabite, with three bite-sized new works to sample across three locations in Perth Cultural Centre. Dancers will guide the audience for the night, leading them through a highly visual experience in the heart of Northbridge - from the basement of The Rechabite to the State Theatre Centre garden and upstairs at The Blue Room Theatre. This experience, MoveMoveMove, which is curated by choreographer and dancer, Tyrone Earl Lraé Robinson, presents a hand-picked selection of what’s new in contemporary dance and movement-making from 23 February.

 

In Structural Dependency, the audience is invited to be more than just spectators. The walls, surrounding structures, even the chairs they are sitting on become involved in the work, closing the gap between viewer and performer. The viewer becomes a participant, part of the structures the work depends on, as he or she is immersed in the movement. Structural Dependency is set to a driving industrial soundtrack and shows off the highly physical choreographic style of Brooke Leeder and dancers.

Explore the full Perth Festival program here.