By Jennifer Beasley.
A standing ovation sums up the electric effect of outstanding choreography and circus skills by an extraordinary team.
Circa, the Brisbane based ten performer circus company, led by visionary artistic director Yaron Lifschitz, have given birth to Humans 2.0, the evolutionary step from their previous production, Humans.
With chest thrumming music from Ori Lichtik, and striking lighting by Paul Jackson, this incredible performance blends acrobatics, dance, circus elements and theatrical intensity to wow the audience into a final standing ovation.
Seamless transitions from one scene to the next ties the thematic questions of ‘what is the human body capable of?’
From the opening dance and floor work, flashing into what I called the Easter Island totems walk – one performer balanced on the shoulders of another as they strut in a spiral around the stage- the audience is captivated by both the music, lights and powerful aerobic structure. Complimenting the piece by the simplistic costumes of black netting and muted coloured shorts, the physicality of these performers is beautifully outlined, giving them free range to complete the many leaps, jumps and heart racing balancing acts that give rise to many, many bursts of audience applause.
Segues in music tempo, and stuttering lights, bring about the reoccurring theme of a spiral, as the performers line up, a ticking minute hand as they circle around the stage, their centre embedded at the stage core, before launching into the next dramatic scene.
At times the audience is immersed in the slower moments of this act; fusions of dance, acrobatic and yoga poses parse into effortless leaps, and balancing sections. How anyone can do a one-handed handstand on someone’s head defies convention!
A lovely interlude of implied romance gives the audience time to breath as the male and female performers lovingly linger with touch, then elevate the dance with lift raises and soulful looks. Enriching this piece, Lifschitz cleverly adds two male performers energetically spinning and balancing against each other, before they also leave the stage and two female performers resume the romantic angle.
With circus elements such as the trapeze bar, swing straps and flowing black aerial ribbons, the performers are as much at ease in the air, at jaw-dropping heights, as they are on floor work.
Clever uses of changes of tempo – the scene where the two performers hatch from their clothing ‘cocoon’, a ‘slow-mo’ act which is a testament to control, and even a ‘body morphing’ section where the bodies meld into insectile poses- makes this a performance well deserving of 5 stars.
Excellent. Outstanding. Not to be missed.
Humans 2.0 plays at 7pm at The Playhouse at The Melbourne Arts Centre until the 24th May.
