Sydney Dance Company - (Eryn Begley)

Rafael Bonachela's

The Land of Yes and The Land of No

28 September – 1 October 2011

Brisbane, Australia

The Playhouse, QPAC

Our modern-day world is practically littered with instruction, signs and systems, enforcing control; never have we been subject to so many prohibitions and commands. It is in response to this that Spanish choreographer Rafael Bonachela developed the latest dance piece the Sydney Dance Company brought to Brisbane. Presented as part of the Brisbane Festival, The Land of Yes and The Land of No is a performance that ponders the effect these signs have not only on our physical actions but also on our emotional lives. Heralded as Bonachela’s deepest exploration into the human psyche, his latest offering considers the power of imagination and the body’s ability to give physical shape to memory, experience and emotions.

The Land of Yes and The Land of No showcases a ten-strong troupe of dancers from the Sydney Dance Company with which Bonachela has just signed his second three-year contract as artistic director. Collaborating with Italian contemporary composer Ezio Bosso and set designer Alan MacDonald, Bonachela crafts the performance to accentuate a minimalist aesthetic. With most of the dancers on stage throughout The Land of Yes and The Land of No, running just over an hour with no intermission, the audience is treated to a refreshing production that, through its tight choreography, highlights the thematic concerns in a crisp succinct manner. While so many shows go all-out with extravagant lighting, costumes and sets, the power of Bonachela’s emotive The Land of Yes and The Land of No lies in its simplistic presentation. Costumes appear to be uncomplicated white affairs; however intricate linear pleating has been included further accentuating each and every movement. Similarly, the stripped-back stage design is flat and monochromatic, modestly illuminated by an unambiguous row of neon lights. The Land of Yes and The Land of No is a perfect synthesis of movement and melody, existing as a credit to the partnership of Bonachela and Bosso, and hopefully indicative of future greatness from the powerful duo.