Adelaide Festival

Festival Review: Between Tiny Cities

Between Tiny Cities brings Aaron Lim from Darwin and Erak Mith from Phnom Penh together as two performers from different worlds under the choreography of Nick Power and sound design of Jack Prest.

3.5

Presented by: Nick Power
Reviewed 29th  February 2020

Between Tiny Cities brings Aaron Lim from Darwin and Erak Mith from Phnom Penh together as two performers from different worlds under the choreography of Nick Power and sound design of Jack Prest.

As you enter the venue, a giant circle is marked out on the floor and the audience is motioned to gather around it. I suddenly feel as if I am a part of a Step Up movie and ready to chant for my favourite dancer. It is apprent by the looks around the room that some members of the audience are suprised by the lack of chairs. As the lights dim we realize our 2 dancers have also been apart of the audience awaiting patiently on the edge of the circle opposite one another. What happens next is 40 minutes of what can only be described as a Hip Hop battle to classical music. There is no dialogue apart from Erak Mith singing in what I believe was Khmer as a kind of cheeky taunt to Aaron Lim. A very clever drink break is also incorporated into the performance.

The dancing is eye catching and interesting with a few flips for good measure. It is the kind of show where you enjoy it for its simplicity although you know nothing about it is simple and I certainly did just that. However, I’m still not sure if I enjoyed the staging and judging from the looks around the room others may have felt the same. It was difficult to know which dancer to watch when both were dancing, and although being super up close and personal meant you were so close you could see the beads of sweat dripping from the dancers, it also meant that for many it became uncomfortable to stand for the 40 minutes. The Festival is about experiencing a different kind of performance and this was certainly that.

Reviewed by Tara Forbes-Godfrey

Rating out of 5: 3.5 An experience where every age can enjoy the skill of Hip Hop

Venue:  Lions Art Theatre
Season:  Fri 28 Feb, 11:00am, Sat 29 Feb, 4:00pm, 6:00pm, Sun 01 Mar, 4:00pm, Mon 02 Mar, 11:00am, 1:30pm & Wed 04 Mar, 11:00am, 7:00pm
Duration: 40 mins
Tickets:  $20-$39
Bookings:  https://www.adelaidefestival.com.au/events/between-tiny-cities/

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