Some dance performances allow their audience to relax mentally and passively take in the action. BUNKER is not one of them. Choreographed and performed by Leah Landau and Lilian Steiner, this innovative piece compels its audience to be mentally present and aware of every nuance of the performance: rarely can either dancer’s movement be anticipated, and there is no music to pull your attention.
Perched on stools in a ‘bunker’ (a cellar with pipes winding overhead), the audience is in unfamiliar territory. The absence of any form of prerecorded sound accompaniment means that the focus is exclusively on the movement vocabulary. The space is not silent, however, with the muffled whirring and clunking of unseen machinery a constant throughout the piece.
The choreography is inspired by the connection between man-made structures and the natural environment. One dancer dominates the left side of the space, always present, while the other comes and goes from the right, periodically disappearing to a room behind the audience. Both maintain a burning focus.
The overall effect is that of two dancers being physically distant but engaged in complementary sets of movements and thought processes. At times cyclical, the piece integrates spurts of perpetual motion and long, pregnant pauses.
BUNKER includes a random selection of props, as well as unexpected costume changes that indicates a shift in one dancer’s motivation and quality of movement. These elements are bewildering yet fascinating, building on the idea of the strange relationship between human structures and the natural environment.
The only major issue in the show is that the view from some seats is often obstructed. Much of the low movement downstage is lost.
Landau and Steiner are part of an intellectualist stream of contemporary dance, pushing the limits of physical expression. For those who prefer traditional dance that asks less of its audience, BUNKER might be an odd experience. This is an intriguing, visually striking work from two incredible artists, well worth a look.
BUNKER is on at Goodtime Studio Basement, 746 Swanston St Carlton from 22-25 September at 7:30pm, with an additional performance on 25 September at 9pm. Tickets $15-$20. Book tickets at melbournefringe.com.au or call (03) 9660 9666.
