Words by Fatema Sitabkhan
Having conducted a Skype interview with Adi and Noa a couple of weeks ago, it was thrilling to meet Adi last night, minutes before the Jerusalem-based dance performance theatre called Vertigo 20 encapsulated its audience in a packed auditorium at Dunstan Playhouse.
As part of the OzAsia festival 2016, Vertigo 20 was invited to showcase their dance performance to Adelaide.
It’s easy to forget that the performance only lasted only an hour, because the 11 dancers who led the ensemble did not stop for a single minute. There were a number of different sequences, each with its own theme. There are bursts of sadness, passion, action, thriller, sensuality, and contemplation that the dancers partake in conveying. What really captured my attention upon watching Vertigo 20 was how they were able to tell us a story (that is completely open to our own interpretation) without words. The chemistry among the different dancers is commendable and I feel like they worked together in an inspiring and beautiful manner.
I felt like I was in a trance, where I could ‘feel’ each emotion that was being portrayed in the different dances. It was a relaxing experience, which I wasn’t expecting at all. Then again, this was my first ever dance theatre show that I went to, so everything that I felt throughout this show was new and surreal, but in a good way!
Each dancer was given a decent amount of exposure and when coupled with other dancers, led to the most beautiful and perfect form of synchronization I’ve seen. Their costumes boasted of neutral colours (black, white, grey), and with each light change on stage, it only seemed to be getting more colourful in essence.
The amount of hard work that was put into this hour-long dance performance was evident on each and every single dancer’s face, with glistening sweat and the undeniable dedication to only deliver the best to their spectators. The standing ovation they received at the end of their performance was extensive and well-deserved, and I can only imagine that Adi in the background was like a proud parent who may have got teary-eyed upon the successful show that we were treated to.
Vertigo 20 has one more show on tonight, so if you don’t have much planned, then I’d highly suggest you go and appreciate the panache that makes this dance theatre unique and exciting!
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