Adelaide Fringe

Fringe Review: Beautiful

Beautiful is a story of strength, wisdom and culture portrayed by cultural contemporary dance company Of Desert & Sea through twelve distinct dance pieces.

4

Presented by Of Desert & Sea
Reviewed 21 February 2020

Beautiful is a story of strength, wisdom and culture portrayed by cultural contemporary dance company Of Desert & Sea through twelve distinct dance pieces.

As the performance starts the audience is immediately transported to the world of social media where racially laden statuses are placed on a large screen at the back of the stage and commentated as a sound backing. The mood is instantly set and Amber Ahang, Kirsty Williams, Pearl Berry and Iteka Sanderson-Bromley draw you in with their captivating movements that are reminiscent of a heart beating. As one piece flows into the next, the audience is treated to a spectacular display of connection to Country and the importance it holds to each of the women, who have ties to six different language groups across South Australia.

A crucial message within the performance comes with moments of anger and sadness as each woman performs a solo piece with commentary about their experiences. From Doctors asking “Are you sure she is Aboriginal?” to “you can’t be a bush kid if you can’t walk on Country without shoes” or the questions the woman ask themselves in relation to their features. It is all laid out in an incredibly powerful display of grace and beauty that has the audience mesmerised from start to finish. The show is a testament to why Aboriginal culture is the oldest culture in the world, because Leaders such as Director & Choreographer Nikki Ashby, Producers Lilla Berry & Kirsty Williams, Production Manager Letisha Ackland, Costume Consultant Kathryn Sproul, Original Music by Sascha Budimski and the incredible performers Amber Ahang, Kristy Williams, Pearl Berry  and Iteka Sanderson-Bromley work together to make shows such as this, which highlight pride both in self and in cultural identity. Whilst each dance highlights the struggles of doing such, each woman remains strong.

This show is one that you wish everyone could see for differing reasons and the take home message is no doubt different for most people. However, one thing that everyone takes away from this performance is just how beautiful it is.

Reviewed by Tara Forbes-Godfrey

Rating out of 5: 4 Stars Beauty, Strength and Leadership have you captivated

Season Ended

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