New production combines science and art

Arts November 2, 2011

Electronic soundscapes, DNA strands as a visual motif, and inexplicably technical dance moves.

It’s no wonder Dance Victoria is thrilled to be bringing Entity to town.

Elise Wren, associate producer with Dance Victoria, says she’s excited to welcome the production of British dance company Wayne McGregor/Random Dance on November 4-5.

“Wayne McGregor is one of the top three choreographers in the world right now, so the chance to bring his company to Victoria is incredible,” says Wren.

McGregor created Entity in 2008 and, according to Wren, it’s a perfect fit for Dance Victoria, since the company has been pursuing less ballets recently and trying to attract more contemporary works.

DNA, Darwinism, and dancing. It's Entity! (Photo provided)

“We’re trying to reach a younger demographic with this piece,” says Wren. “The music for the piece is a soundscape by Joby Talbot and Jon Hopkins, who is a Coldplay collaborator. It’s an electronic soundscape that sounds very Coldplay-esque.”

Michael-John Harper, a dancer with the company, lauds McGregor for his experimental approach to choreography.

“Wayne’s really interested in pushing himself as a choreographer and a dance maker, so he’s been working with these cognitive scientists to look at how the brain and body works,” says Harper. “You start to realize that you work in different patterns, in things that you’re most comfortable with.“

The experimental nature extends to the subject matter. “[McGregor] doesn’t really do narrative ballets or works,” says Harper.

The production doesn’t have a definitive middle and end, but “there’s a lot of meat to it,” says Wren, and it’s up to the audience to interpret what they saw.

“McGregor plays with the idea of artificial intelligence; there’s Darwinism in there,” she says. “He also projects images like the Fibonacci sequence and the golden mean, ideas that beauty can come from mathematical concepts.”

Another nod to science and math is a subtle visual motif of DNA sequences. But you won’t need a science degree to enjoy Entity. From a visual standpoint, Wren has high expectations for the performance.

“These dancers are some of the best in the world,” she says. “You’re seeing incredible extensions, flexibility, they’re doing things that you’d never imagine are possible. They seem to be like other entities… which is fitting for the piece.”

Entity
7:30pm, November 4-5
Royal Theatre, $25-60
dancevictoria.com