Collusion: Desirelines

Having ignited critics and audiences at the 2015 Brisbane Festival, dance, music and animation is set to collide in Collusion’s award nominated chamber ballet, Desirelines in its Melbourne premiere season at Hawthorn Arts Centre on 26 & 27 July 2017.

The muscular contemporary ballet, soaring chamber music and captivating visual projection will counterpoint the Art Deco grandeur of the Main Hall, contrasting and enriching this groundbreaking work within the heritage listed setting.

Striking a new balance between live music and dance, Desirelines places three musicians and four dancers at the intersection between choice and obligation. Bound by a gleaming stainless steel set and projected musical scores, individual desires emerge from all seven performers as Collusion physically cut across the space.

To integrate the musicians physically into the performance, Collusion Artistic Director Benjamin Greaves’ concept design allows for the musical scores that are projected directly onto the stage to be completely functional. The musicians are reading from them throughout the performance, allowing them to leave their music stands at home for once!

These captivating visuals enable the musicians to interact freely in the space as they perform the virtuosic score made up of original compositions by Susan Hawkins and masterworks by Sculthorpe and Ibert. Pete Foley’s animation maps a concrete visual landscape that floats with Leigh Buchanan’s whimsical costumes.

“Projecting Susan’s score across the stage gives us a pathway to follow musically, while allowing us the freedom to find our own desirelines between the notes” said Greaves.

Desirelines is Collusion’s second evening-length chamber ballet. It is the result of more than 12 years of collaboration between the group and choreographer Gareth Belling, and was a finalist in the 2016 Australian Dance Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Independent Dance.

“We premiered the work in 2015, but ideas about desire and choice have been with me a long time; since reading Peter and Richard Wherrett’s memoir Desirelines many years ago,” said choreographer Gareth Belling. “While not based on the book, our production is focused on the way your heart can lead you in directions you never expected, yet end up exactly where you need to be.”

“The choreography uses ballet’s structure, or form as a starting point to explore the individual performers’ movement desire lines. It is muscular and musical, emotional and engaging: it beats with the blood of real human desires,” added Belling.

Concept Design: Benjamin Greaves Choreography: Gareth Belling Composition: Susan Hawkins Animation/Projection Design: Pete Foley Costume Design: Leigh Buchanan Lighting Design: Ben Hughes and Cameron Goerg Musicians: Benjamin Greaves (Violin), Danielle Bentley (Cello) and Diana Tolmie (Clarinet) Dancers: Amelia Stokes, Michael Smith, Maughan Jemesen and Gareth Belling