The Sydney Dance Company brought their performance Countermove to the city – to the delight of the surprising mid-week crowd.

The night began with their popular performance Cacti, the highlight of which was a duet that had the crowd in stitches. Two dancers were accompanied by voice overs, that seemed to make sense of their series of bizarre movements. The effect was as though a comedian or inebriated college student had seen the piece on YouTube and taken it upon themselves to narrate it in an effort to make some sense of the convoluted movements of modern dance. Towards the end the voice overs told each other they needed some space. “What about the cat?” one says, and out of nowhere a grey cat dropped from the ceiling – appearing to resolve the issue. While in the beginning many in the audience seemed as though they were trying to repress their laughter – dance after all is a serious business – the cat was too much and the constant stream of giggles erupted into laughter. 

It was a hard act to follow but the second half’s Lux Tenebris did not disappoint. Riveting in it’s intensity, dancers moved through smoke across the stage, the music making it feel as though the whole thing was happening inside a thunderstorm.  The effect became something it was difficult to take your eyes off.

From everywhere dancers sprang, it seemed inevitable there would be a collision. However all dancers were unscathed at their final bow.

Again the duets stole the show, dancers seeming to defy the limits of their bones and gravity, placing feet and arms at unnatural angles that they slipped out of like water just before it seemed a break would occur.

For more chances to broaden your mid-week horizons visit the theatre’s website.