Photo credit: Jeff Busby
For millennia, artists have strived to capture and articulate humanity’s definition of perfection in various artistic works, despite the unpredictability of an imperfect world. Leonardo Da Vinci produced the Vitruvian Man to encapsulate his theory of ideal body proportions, while Dutch abstract painter Piet Mondrian developed a new art movement (neoplasticism) to create ‘universal beauty’.
In defiance of Da Vinci and Mondrian’s perfectionist ideals, leading contemporary dance companies Restless Dance Theatre and Chunky Move are delving into the complicated relationship between humans and the superficial world.
Choreographed by Chunky Move’s Artistic Director Anthony Hamilton – and co-produced with Restless Dance Theatre – Rewards for the Tribe celebrates the imaginations of artists while embracing life’s exquisite chaos.
A performance years in the making, Rewards for the Tribe wrestles with the archetypes of divine geometry laid out by the Old Masters, featuring dancers with and without a disability.
After a sold-out run in Melbourne earlier this year as part of RISING Festival and a string of UK performances taking place in Coventry, Rewards for the Tribe has announced its return to Restless’ hometown of Adelaide from 26-29 October.
Chunky Move and Restless Dance Theatre’s geometrical playground performance that is Rewards for the Tribe was Restless’ first performance presented in the United Kingdom, commissioned by the Warwick Arts Centre and Coventry UK City of Culture. The performance was also Chunky Move’s first UK performance since its 2012 rendition of Mortal Engines at London’s Southbank Centre.
Rewards for the Tribe will be performed at The Odeon Theatre, the home of Australian Dance Theatre where Anthony Hamilton was once a company member. This will be Chunky Move’s first Adelaide performance since 2014, when they toured Hamilton’s Keep Everything.
Choreographed and directed by Hamilton, the five dancers bend, crumple and reorganise an asymmetrical set by Jonathon Oxlade that gently pokes fun at the precise angles of Mondrian’s colour block paintings. Together, the performers find beauty in things as they are and question the pursuit of perfection.
Aviva Endean’s sound design – which incorporates the unique expressive voices of the dancers – combined with Jenny Hector’s nostalgic, minimal lighting design perfectly sets the tone for the performance’s quest for beautiful imperfection.
To discover more or purchase tickets, click here.
Where: The Odeon, 57a Queen Street, Norwood, SA 5067
When: Wednesday 26 October – Saturday 29 October, 7:30pm – 8:30pm
Cost: $41.38 per person (buy tickets here)
