Blink and you would have missed The Cube, a contemporary dance performance created by Brent Rollins which featured in the State of Play lineup at the State Theatre Centre for FRINGE WORLD. Rollins was joined by Natassija Morrow and Sophie Sibbons, with music by Paulo Padernillo for a half hour of thought-provoking movement and dance which explored questions about memories and the stories we create from them.
As we enter the theatre, the trio of performers are lying in a pile on the dark stage next to a large cube built from varying lengths of PVC pipe. As the lights change, they slowly awaken and are drawn towards this cube, cautiously moving their limbs and eventually whole bodies through the cube’s open frame. The first few minutes are spent with the dancers exploring the space itself and how to move in and out of it, but eventually, we begin to see that the cube is starting to have an effect on them.
The music and sound shifts along with the lighting state, and the dancers respond with a different way of moving; for instance, the trio multicoloured lights and a pulsing dance beat takes over, so their movements synchronise as they take on a more pop style of choreography. Frequently, only one performer will find themselves alone inside the cube, with a different set of light and sound cues which trigger a different memory and range of feeling, and invite introspection and interpretation from the viewer.
In the event description, Rollins challenges the audience to think about the stories we infer from their performance and its individual scenes. Without words to guide us, what do we make of what our other senses are telling us? This is, for a non-dancing contemporary dance and dance theatre enthusiast, the heart of the matter and the reason to experience this art form.
The Cube is an accessible but deceptively complex piece, just like the cube set piece itself, with the performers moving quickly in and around its seemingly fragile frame to music and lights that underscore and highlight the fluctuating moods and emotions they embody.
CICELY BINFORD
The Cube ran at the State Theatre Centre of WA from 27 – 28 January as part of State of Play at FRINGE WORLD. For more information click here.
