Orbo Novo. Photo by Julieta Cervantes, Adelaide Festival of Arts
Presented by Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet
Reviewed 7 March 2015
From silence, a low hum emerges. The vibrations are unsettling.
Two dancers meet. Are they from different hemispheres? They creep, cradle, and yearn, and then she is alone. She weaves her way through lattice; stops abruptly, then resumes. Simple piano music meets horizontal escape, the world upside down, climbing, hanging and suddenly falling. We are inside the brainchild of New York based troupe Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet.
Our occipital lobes are at work now interpreting colour, light, and movement as we are introduced to Cedar Lake’s intriguing Orbo Novo (New World). The Australian premiere of this incredible piece is based on the original work of neuroanatomist Dr Jill Bolte Taylor who, after having a stroke, wrote the book My Stroke of Insight and spoke of her experience on TED.com (viewed by over 16 million).
Choreographed by Belgian dance master Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, the cast mimic Bolte Taylor’s gesticulations, and the words we hear are her TED speech verbatim. Some dancers mouth the words, their movement in unison until, ultimately, the stage is filled with monologue and motion. Meanwhile, others have started mouthing the text and repeating the movements from earlier parts of the same story. The effect is brilliant. Our parietal lobes, which interpret language and words, are working hard.
As the spoken word ends, the case for hemispherical superiority begins in earnest. Slides, gyrations, solos and ensemble movements are gravity defying and spectacular; this is a dance-off between left (past and future thinking) and right (present thinking). Orbo Novo reflects Bolte Taylor’s nirvana-inspired experience, but the ultimate conclusion will be strictly between you and your prefrontal cortex.
Isabelle Lhoas’ costuming is excellent, with pedal pushers, ruffles, waistcoats and particularly dirndls adding to a type of elastic fluidity, matching Szymon Brzóska’s uncomplicated compositions. There is grace and intelligence at the heart of this production.
Some movements are tremulous, ataxic, palsy-induced and hot with fasciculation. Were it not for the shrewdly conveyed impression of optimism, this might have made for uncomfortable viewing. However, it serves only to expose the phenomenal ability of the troupe; as sharp raconteurs through the medium of dance.
Out of shades of confusion, pain, fear, and relief, we are left with an impression of hope. Just as each function of the brain does not function alone, the harmony with which Cedar Lake presents Orbo Novo, and the resolute sanguinity conveyed, makes for an electrifying, remarkable and provocative performance.
Reviewed by Gordon Forester
Twitter: @GordonForester
Rating out of 5: 4
Venue: Adelaide Festival Theatre
Season: 7 – 8 March 2015
Duration: 1 hour 10 minutes (no interval)
Tickets: $30 – $109
Bookings: Book through the Adelaide Festival online or through BASS online, phone 131 246 (booking fees apply)
- Adelaide Festival website
- Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet website
- Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet YouTube channel
- TED Talk – My Stroke of Insight
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