Spectators of the Palladian Dance competition, both those present at the venue, and those tuning in on the live-stream, were treated to a diverse collection of entertaining, moving and engaging performances last Thursday night.
Since the very competitive auditions in Week 1, which attracted over 100 keen dancers, the team has been putting early morning and late night hours into learning, rehearsing and cleaning the Big and Small Dance pieces to get them looking stage-ready!
Big Dance transported the audience back to the 70’s, with their rendition of Elvis Presley’s ‘Jailhouse Rock’. As our men donned their sharp black ties, our women sported a bold red lip, and brought energy, fun and some very smooth moves to the stage. Highlights of the performance included some fast footwork from all members, expertly practised flips and lifts from some of the pairings, and an excellent acting performance from the Androvian men at the end of the piece.
On the night, the Small Dance performance, inspired by the music of 2020 hit TV show, Euphoria, entranced the audience with a haunting interpretation of the vicious cycle of addiction. Titled ‘Recovery & Relapse’, the talented dancers wore delicate white costumes, which juxtaposed in tone and theme with the macabre motif of black charcoal wash, reminiscent of the activated charcoal used in first aid response to overdose, covering dancers’s mouths and costumes one by one as they moved through the piece. A very serious and confronting subject, the dancers were wary to do the matter justice, discussing in-depth throughout the rehearsal process how best to portray the experience, and ensuring that the emotions were delivered tastefully and genuinely on-stage.
- Lauren Jones