A suspended net and a gothic lament: Melbourne gets a welcome return

Melbourne's arts calendar recently welcomed a rare double dose of Bangarra Dance Theatre, a Sydney-based group renowned for its fusion of Indigenous culture and contemporary dance. Just three months after their previous appearance in Melbourne—where they collaborated with the Australian Ballet—the company returned for a second visit, presenting a unique triple bill titled Sheltering at the Arts Centre Melbourne. The performance ran from June 12 to June 27, offering audiences a chance to experience a mix of new and older works alongside a dance film. This return marked not only a significant event for the city's cultural landscape but also highlighted the versatility and depth of Bangarra's artistic repertoire.

The program featured three distinct pieces, each reflecting different themes and styles within the company's evolving narrative. At the heart of the evening was Sheoak, a 2015 piece by Frances Rings that delved into the somber themes of cultural survival and ancestral connection. The work opened with stark imagery—black-and-white costumes evoking skeletal remains—and incorporated long grey branches to create the illusion of a vast ribcage. Central to the piece was Chantelle Lee Lockhart, who portrayed the "keeper of the scar tree," a figure in deep mourning following the fall of her symbolic tree. The emotional weight of this role was underscored by moments where female dancers were lifted by male counterparts only to be abruptly released, hovering just inches above the stage—a poignant metaphor for loss and resilience.

As the performance progressed, the atmosphere grew more intense. In one sequence, male dancers gathered in a tight spotlight, their bodies bent low as they executed sweeping arm movements, eventually arching their heads backward in apparent anguish. The staging of Sheoak was further enriched by the use of a large net suspended over the stage, which became a recurring motif in the subsequent piece, Keeping Grounded. This newer work by Glory Tuohy-Daniell explored the tension between modern technology and the human need for grounding and stability. The net, reminiscent of Dalisa Pigrum’s earlier work Gudirr Gudirr, served as a visual representation of digital entanglement and the challenges of disconnection in an increasingly connected world.

The production took a darker turn with the transformation of costumes from skeletal forms to black rags adorned with red streaks resembling wounds. These changes reflected the cyclical nature of community instability and the collective expression of pain. Kassidy Waters delivered a standout performance in a frenzied solo that encapsulated these themes, showcasing the physical and emotional intensity that defines Bangarra’s style. The final component of the program was a dance film created by Cass Mortimer Eipper and company member Daniel Mateo, which, while visually appealing, was noted for lacking the immediacy and presence of live performance.

Separately, the Australian Chamber Choir presented a concert titled Great Romantic Voices at the Our Lady of Mount Carmel church in Middle Park on June 21. Under the direction of Douglas Lawrence, the choir performed a diverse selection of unaccompanied choral music that paid homage to the Romantic era. The concert included works by composers such as Brahms, Rheinberger, and Bruckner, each interpreted with a blend of technical precision and emotional depth. The choir's rendition of Brahms' Warum ist das Licht gegeben showcased their ability to navigate complex harmonic structures, while their interpretation of Bruckner’s Christus factus est conveyed a sense of solemn grandeur.

The program also featured two contrasting Marian settings: Verdi’s Ave Maria and Rachmaninoff’s Bogoroditse Dyevo, both of which demonstrated the choir's capacity to shift between intimate and expansive musical expressions. From the Atlantic side, the choir performed Elgar’s Nimrod from the Enigma Variations, arranged by Elizabeth Anderson as Lux Aeterna, and Samuel Barber’s Agnus Dei, an arrangement of the adagio from his String Quartet. These selections, though originally conceived without vocal parts in mind, were rendered with clarity and sensitivity by the choir, highlighting their adaptability and interpretive range.

Both the Bangarra Dance Theatre and the Australian Chamber Choir events exemplified the richness of Melbourne’s cultural offerings. They drew upon historical contexts, thematic explorations, and innovative staging techniques to engage audiences in profound and multifaceted experiences. As these performances concluded, anticipation built for future collaborations and continued contributions from these influential artistic ensembles.