Behind the curtain: ab [intra]

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1. A unique emotional journey

Meaning ‘from within’ in Latin, ab [intra] originated as a series of improvisations by the Company dancers.

“The language, mood and feel of the movement originated from a very personal and unique place,” says Bonachela.

The audience will experience the thoughts, feelings, ideas and sensations that came from the dancers’ experiments in the studio. They wrote down responses such as:

don’t indulge / purposely creating awkward encounters / power play / small shifts / survival in the natural world / lost in my head, lost in space, lost in time, lost in place / layers of life / soft existence / collisions occur / in a world so alone / existing together but not touching

Photo by Pedro Greig.

2. The athleticism

ab [intra] is a trademark display of Bonachela’s athletic choreography.

His choreography consists of intricate entanglements and “ferocious, out-there physicality.” (The Australian)

Bonachela wanted the movements of the dancers to explore the depths and extremes of human impulse, and to explore what drives human relationships and ambition.

“The dancers give themselves personally and intimately. They bring their own experiences to the studio and the trust we have as an ensemble delivers its own authenticity and openness,” he says.

Photo by Pedro Greig.

Become a subscriber to save 15% on tickets plus other special benefits.
● Best seats: Enjoy priority booking so you can renew your favourite seats and book in your year of killer collaborations.
● Behind-the-scenes experiences: Experience the creative process and find out what life is like as a dancer.
● Flexibility: No booking fee and unlimited free ticket exchanges.

“Music is a very important component of any piece I create,” says Bonachela.

For ab [intra], composer Nick Wales has created a sumptuous musical score, fusing lush electronica with Peteris Vasks’ cello concerto Klatbutne / Presence.

Vasks’ Klatbutne / Presence is big music—full of strength, purity and serenity.

ab [intra] begins with the lamentation of a solitary cello building to an expansive almost landscape-like symphonic wall of sound. It includes darker electronic and percussive passages before moving to neoclassical rhythms and orchestral string sounds.

4. The minimalist design

ab [intra] is a spectacular performance no thanks to the talents of Set and Costume Designer David Fleischer and Lighting Designer Damien Cooper.

“Their sensitivity to choreography and creativity produce an awe-inspiring production,” says Bonachela.

The design is minimal and raw, lending to a look of classical minimalism. The white expanse of the stage—reminiscent of a lake—is a captivating contrast to the industrial quality of the theatre.

“We’re playing with two extremes of ideas, just like how I think Rafael Bonachela is approaching the work as a whole—finding an arc between two distinct worlds,” says Fleischer.

Photo by Pedro Greig.

5. Intricate duets

The thoughts, feelings, ideas and sensations felt by the dancers during the creation process of ab [intra] became the universe or ‘script’ explored in the final performance.

At the heart of the work are eloquent duets which “have to be seen to be believed.” (Sydney Morning Herald).

The duets reveal the mystery of human existence, and the complex emotional relationships we nurture throughout our lives.

Photo by Pedro Greig

Become a subscriber to save 15% on tickets plus other special benefits.
● Best seats: Enjoy priority booking so you can renew your favourite seats and book in your year of killer collaborations.
● Behind-the-scenes experiences: Experience the creative process and find out what life is like as a dancer.
● Flexibility: No booking fee and unlimited free ticket exchanges.