Over the course of a week, Canberra audiences have had the pleasure of viewing two productions by major indigenous dance companies, Bangarra Dance Theatre and Australian Dance Theatre. Both companies strove to express aspects of the indigenous experience through dance, and both companies called upon cultural collaborators to assist in this mission.
There was particular excitement surrounding this visit of ADT because its current Artistic Director, Daniel Riley, rose to his present position, through a career trajectory which took in training with Canberra organisation QL2 Dance, and a distinguished professional dance career as a dancer with Bangarra Dance Theatre.
The publicity for ADT’s production described the work as imagining a new shared future for our nation. Even though disappointed at the failure of the Voice referendum, which occurred during the creation of Marrow, Riley stated in his program notes that he was keen to use the opportunity offered by Marrow, “to feel, very deeply, what a different version of an Australian experience might be, and to dream in a different direction.”
His work commenced in pitch blackness with a pounding drum setting the mood and timing. As the lights slowly rose to reveal a smoky backdrop, a single dancer marched aggressively around the perimeter of the stage to the driving drumbeat. Two more dancers joined him and then two more, until all the dancers were marching around the stage.
Marrow is a very ensemble work and the dancers were: Joshua Doctor, Yilin Kong, Zachary Lopez, Karra Nam, Patrick O’Luanaigh and Zoe Wozniak. Ultimately, structured patterns dissolved as the dancers transitioned into smaller groups, executing dynamic individual acrobatic movements and variations.
Smoke figured prominently in the production, which was expected, as the publicity had described Marrow as a smoking ceremony for a country trapped in the past, and the smoke as a seventh dancer.
So the dancers, each outfitted in uniquely tailored, loose-fitting garments made of straw-coloured textured fabrics, designed by Ailsa Paterson, made liberal use of hand-held smoke machines throughout the performance, not only to purify the body and ward off negative energies, but also as an effective visual element of the production.
Another descriptor in the same material described the work as existing part-way between a rave and ritual. Given that a rave or ritual requires no storyline, this idea however explained the aggressiveness of much of James Howard’s music, and the frantic energy of the dancer’s movements.
Not that any dance work necessarily requires a storyline, but when there is a declared objective, it is helpful if the observer can identify the stated objective in the work. It also fitted the evocative production and lighting design by Matthew Adey, which seemed to suggest that the action was taking place in a fenced area at varying times of day.
This was particularly so for the sequence in which the dancers carefully laid out a cloth, which was then folded into a bundle and raised skyward. The bundle was then lowered and embraced to suggest a mother and baby, followed by a long solo by a female dancer, which suggested a mother grieving.
Viewed as an abstract contemporary dance work, there was much to admire. The dancers were highly skilled and deeply invested. The choreography was intense, interesting, and excellently performed and the work contained many striking moments.
However, given the positivity of the comments in Riley’s program notes suggesting that Marrow was offering a chance to “feel what a different version of an Australian experience might be, and to dream in a different direction” – it was disappointing not to be able to identify any positive aspects in the work that suggested new directions, hope or aspirations for a new shared future, only familiar tropes expressing anger, rebellion and sadness.
Australian Dance Theatre: Marrow
Canberra Theatre Centre, Civic Square, Canberra
Performance: Thursday 31 July 2025
Season: 31 July – 1 August 2025
Information: www.adt.org.au
Images: Australian Dance Theatre presents Marrow – photos by Morgan Sette
Review: Bill Stephens OAM