Midsumma dance highlights

Among the many events at this year’s Midsumma Festival in Melbourne is Mechorstra, produced and performed by Scimm. Dance Company.

Scimm. is led by Scott Pokorny and Tim Barnes and Mechorstra was created by them in collaboration with the dancers. The show sold out at the Melbourne Fringe last year and won the People’s Choice Award.

Mechorstra is an exploration of the intricate relationship between movement and music. The dancers “emulate an orchestra striving for perfection yet they descend into chaos”. They push the boundaries of contemporary dance, blending elements of ballet, circus and physical theatre. Dates: February 8 at 11 at the MC Showroom, Prahran.

Also combining music and dance is Labyrinth, a new opera-ballet and piano concerto, by Forest Collective. Staged in the haunting corridors of the Abbotsford Convent, audiences will be led into the labyrinth of Greek myth, witnessing the ordeal of Theseus, Ariadne and her half-brother, the Minotaur. Evan J Lawson’s music and Daniel Szesiong Todd’s libretto confront themes of shame, isolation and redemption, while Melbourne pianist Danaë Killian gives powerful voice to the work’s piano concerto. Ashley Dougan’s visceral choreography brings humanity to the epic tale. Dates: February 6 to 10.

Midsumma is Melbourne’s LGBTQIA+ arts festival and this year runs from Jan 21 to Feb 11.