Overview
This extraordinary double bill featured Rafael Bonachela’s award-winning Frame of Mind and a brand new work by internationally acclaimed choreographer Antony Hamilton called Forever & Ever.
Frame of Mind is set to a dramatic contemporary-classical soundtrack by Bryce Dessner from The National, performed LIVE by the Australian String Quartet, and features an evocative set by Ralph Myers.
Forever & Ever is a world premiere which “lays siege to the senses with a mighty display of shock and awe.” (The Australian). Set to a sonically stimulating score by The Presets’ Julian Hamilton, Forever & Ever fuses together a killer mix of dance, techno, high fashion and vivid lighting to hypnotic effect. Exploring ideas of order, chaos, popular culture and human behaviour, this boundary-pushing work is a bold and thrilling theatrical experience.
Performance History
Roslyn Packer Theatre Walsh Bay
16 – 27 Oct 2018
Creatives
Frame of Mind
Choreography: Rafael Bonachela
Designer: Ralph Myers
Costume Design Realisation: Aleisa Jelbart
Lighting Designer: Benjamin Cisterne
Music: Original compositions by Bryce Dessner
Live score: Performed by Australian String Quartet
Dramaturgical Consultant: Samuel Webster
Forever & Ever
Choreographer: Antony Hamilton
Composer: Julian Hamilton
Costume Design: Paula Levis
Audience & Media
“Forever & Ever lays siege to the senses with a mighty display of shock and awe. It’s immediate, visceral stuff, as Wednesday’s opening night reception proved. The roars of approval went on and on.” – The Australian
“★★★★★ mind-warping…The collision of beats, movement, fashion and even f**king lasers feels like a rave at an avant garde London Fashion Week show with models swapped out for vogueing cyborgs.” – Pedestrian TV
“★★★★ There is nothing like a strong contrast in a double bill and the Sydney Dance Company’s latest is certainly that: a revival of polished grace and a premiere of something completely different.” – Sydney Morning Herald
“★★★★ 1/2 Two wildly different but thrilling works – with the dancers showing that they can take pretty well whatever is thrown at them and nail it with precision and flair.” – Limelight
“★★★★ It’s an inventive and adventurous ride…original and evocative.” – Time Out
“★★★★ A thrilling theatrical experience.” – Daily Review
“This program was remarkable for showing us the breadth of what contemporary dance can accomplish. But the most exciting bit was that both works were stunningly danced.” – Michelle Potter
“Curious, engaging, forceful.” – Sydney Arts Guide
“…wonderfully impactful… a mesmerising vision…” – The Plus Ones
“★★★★…Bonachela’s Frame of Mind delivers an emotionally engaging and overarching choreographic mastery…electric” – Daily Review
“★★★★ 1/2″ – The Age
“Frame of Mind delivers captivating scores, wonderful choreography and dance fuelled with emotion…” – ABC Arts
“Frame of Mind drills a hole into your heart and brain and makes you leak emotion in that sneaky, visceral way only dance can do.” – Concrete Playground Sydney
“Mind officially blown. If you get a chance go and see Forever & Ever a new work by @sydneydanceco with incredible score by Julian Hamilton from @ThePresets. F**king amazing and it’s only on for a bit. Do it!!!! So worth it. I can’t stop thinking about it.” – Paul Mac (Musician)
“Antony Hamilton’s Forever & Ever was like a Moebius comic crossed with Joy Division’s “Atmosphere” video with a slamming techno score by Julian Hamilton, creating a whole world to get lost in. Bryce Dessner’s angular, climactic compositions complement the controlled chaos beautifully in Frame of Mind too.” – Ben Marshall (Head of Contemporary Music at Sydney Opera House)
“Forever & Ever was a brutal, pagan, mechanistic death rave and I LOVED IT; the collective heartbeat of the theatre roared with dread and pleasure. Terrifying choreo from @antonyhamilton ; terrifying score by @jlnhmltn ; killer campaign by @zmorellini” – @nine_things (Audience Member)
“Extraordinary night…Music, costumes, choreography, dancers… and them lasers! Wow!” – Jacqui Bonner (Audience Member)
“Absolutely amazing. The dancers are phenomenal as are both pieces.” – Sheree Zellner (Audience Member)
“Magic makers creating new worlds.” – Stereogamous
“Poetry in motion” – Audience Member
Gallery
