[2012122] Just outside of me
Vital Organs Collective @ Adelaide College of the Arts – Stables
8:00pm, Sun 11 Mar 2012
I’ve really enjoyed the various shows that have appeared in the Fringe under the Vital Organs Collective banner (in 2009 and 2010) and, whilst I was less enamoured with frequent collaborators The Lost Rung last year, Just outside of me was scheduled nice and early.
This edition of the ‘Collective comprises four dancers – Emma Vaiano and Kathleen Skipp, and the two Lost Rung boys: Adam Jackson and Josh Mitchell. And, from the very first of seven or eight dance pieces that comprise the performance, it’s clear that the Vitals’ production values have gone up a notch. Screens in the background are the recipient of a dream-like space scene, with eyeballs taking the place of planets; though the opening dance is slow and contemplative, the use of light and shadow is really quite fetching. The second piece ups the tempo with a lounge bar scene, some strong physical movement, and some classical styles on display by the women. The choreography of the dancers was eye-catching, with limbs being flung about in sync; bloody lovely stuff.
The Lost Rung boys did one of their now-familiar strength pieces against a wall; again, great use of side lighting. A looped snippet of Do You Know The Way To San Jose provides the backdrop for another physical piece that starts with some gentle rolling before evolving into a stronger, physically active piece; and then a return to more tight choreography and some really attractive diagonal lines – albeit with a sudden and curious end to the piece. The final segment sees a return to the Space Eyes along with more great diagonal lines, synced to a distinct clock tick. More wall-work and a wall run(!) close out the performance.
I really enjoyed Just outside of me. Whilst there didn’t really seem to be a tangible narrative throughout the individual dance pieces – nearly all of which had a distinct visual style – they were all strong enough to stand on their own, with Kathleen Skipp’s lead on the choreography producing some exciting movement from the small cast, and Josh Mitchell’s audio work (with Norm Skipp) creating some great backdrops for the dance. Once again, the Vital Organs Collective delivered the physical dance goods.