By Jennifer Beasley
SKINSHIP (Japan, South Korea): Bonding through physical (touch, skin-to-skin) contact; particularly between family members, relatives and loved ones. (Wikipedia).
Presented by Ensoul Entertainment, and produced by Samantha Daly, who is also one of the five performers, this acrobatic performance from graduates of the National Institute of Cirus Arts (NICA) wows from beginning to end. I don’t think I have enough adjectives to describe how wonderful, powerful and moving this sixty-minute performance at the Explosives Factory for the Melbourne Fringe Festival is.
Comprising nine complementary scenes, the performers Samantha Daly, Krystal Meakins, Richard Amendola (creative consultant), Grace Robins and Tim Simpson, all utilise their strengths to display incredible physicality and emotional connection. With electric blue costumes with the palest of pink accents (sewn by Daly’s mother who I happened to be seated next to, as we celebrated the great effort of parents to support the life of dance/performancer), and with music chosen by the troupe and offset with engaging pink, orange and yellow lighting (great job controlling the music and lights by Ty Wallent) we journey through scenarios of joy and trust, sweetness and humour, tenderness and power as these consummate acrobats weave a beautiful story of love and connection.
After watching the acrobats warm up (space is limited backstage so you get a peek at how much time is spent to limber up) the set opens to a flirtatious Daly teasing the male performer. Using their bodies to express complex emotions through stationary poses, energetic acrobatics and contorted movements, I was captivated by Daly’s expressive legs, something I never thought I’d ever say, as she communicated her joy and playfulness to captivate her companion and draw him into her dance-play.
All the performers had expressive facial features, Daly often smiling and giggling, her joy contagious, and the upbeat music a perfect foil to their physical abilities. Krystal Meakins does a brilliant piece of foreshadowing her solo with finger walking in the second piece, before the performers segway into the dynamic third scene where Tim Simpson dazzles with a puppyhammer (yes, it’s a thing. Spend some time on youtube like I did, it’s like a jazzed up num-chucks) twirling and corralling a cute yet undeniably adroit Grace Robins, as he courts her with his prowess, gradually winning her over as the two perform a loving dance within the confines of the spinning puppyhammer, ending the scene with a kiss.
The fourth piece sees the three females comically rock heads side to side perfectly in tune to the funky music, all fun and playfulness expressed as Amendola and Simpson rock the stage. A seamless scene change as Amendola, whose speciality is jumping through hoops and rings, astounds the audience as he glides through one, two and then, a smaller ring, to the ohhs and ahhs of the audience (okay, yes, I was one of them!). The occasional fumble or miss only raises the tension-can he do it, can Amendola possibly reach that final, distant ring? You’ll have to attend to find out!
Now the most soulful of dance/performance pieces, the solo by Krystal Meakins. Her contortions to searing music, as she beseeches Daly and Robins to notice her, let her join in-accept her- are expressed in her longing glances. Meakins prostrates herself before the two women, her actions crying out her loneliness, until her final, heart-wrenching withdrawal, her desperation for human touch results in Meakins using her fingers to walk upon her arms, until Daly notices, and enters her personal space. Together the two women sit, still in the moment, as Daly takes her hand, Meakins’ left hand still ceaselessly caressing herself. Magic.
Moving into the synchronised dance section, where we marvel at the performers timing and acrobatic skills, the eighth piece introduces three largish balls, used for juggling and posing. Daly, Robbins and Simpson display full control of their props, ending with Robbins stepping onto all the bodies of her troupe as she goes higher and higher, juggling her way to complete the set.
The performers finish strong, reintroducing the two hula hoops. Jumps, tumbles and high-flying turns concludes in a group pose. The danger that these performers face was evident when Daly, supported by the two men, orders the troupe in a terse ‘wait, wait’ as she positions herself to be held by Robbins who was standing on Meakins. Bodies shaking with the effort, the audience, inhaled the fear, their collective breath held, as we all silently prayed for Daly’s safety. But she did. Breath exhaled and the audience explodes in applause, giving a well-earned standing ovation.
These performers did more than give a great physical performance. They embodied their themes of touch, friends and family and how love keeps us connected. A truly amazing performance.
Skinship, plays at the Explosives Factory until the 11th of October