Truly a celebration of the best of WAAPA The History Project by Link Dance Company – the WAAPA’s graduate dance company – exhibits 4th year Bachelor of Performing Arts (Honours) student dancers in their final show of their coursework. The production also exhibits original compositions of WAAPA’s Music Technology students.
From the outset, it was clear this was no ordinary performance. Instead of a traditional theatre or performance space, the audience was invited to journey through various Liberty Spaces in the heart of the Perth CBD. In rooms and doorways usually lost and overlooked in the hustle and bustle, Link Dance Company turns every corner into a 3D canvas for activity.
Stephen Heath Photography
To review this production really means celebrating each of the moments of awe and joy. In no particular order this included:
The moments of ensemble movement in the Basement and Fire Escape: I could genuinely watch these sequences on repeat over and over again and find something new and amazing each time. Each sequence had a clear purpose and scope. The choreography and execution is beyond superb. The final sequence genuinely took my breath away and was particularly exceptional.
Stephen Heath Photography
More specifically, the lines the lines: Even in the smallest movements and moments, each dancer’s lines were strong and sleek. The ebb and flow of rhythm, with every arch of their back, dip of their heads and extension of their limbs was beautiful and clearly demonstrates the power, purpose and practice that has gone into the production.
Story telling: Without spoilers, the use of costume, choreography, lighting and projections take the audience on a visual representation of our collective past and memory. From simple and clean beginnings, almost like whispers, we see the ebb and flow of human progress to modern day – beautifully represented through colour, complexity and bold movement.
Original score: WAAPA’s composition students crafted a soundscape that was as much a guide as the dancers themselves. It was atmospheric, ethereal and expertly represented time’s relentless march and the fragments of history we cling to and let go.
Looking more broadly, the session in the alleyway was a deviation from the otherwise strong vision, and would benefit from review.
Overall, The History Project was a bold statement celebrating progress, belonging and our dormant histories that might otherwise be forgotten. The memories of this production, like the history it depicted, will undoubtedly linger long in the minds of those who witnessed it.