Limbs at the Royal

Press, 2 July 1983, Page 8

Limbs at the Royal

Limbs Dance. Company, at the Theatre Royal, July 1 and 2, 8 p.m. Reviewed by Heather Campbell. Limbs, tne AucKianabased dance company, has during the last five years built up a tradition of presenting programmes which are outstandingly good. Their exhilarating performance last evening left no doubt that Limbs intend to stay with this well earned reputation. They are communicators in thought and movement, highly skilled in : the art of dance, enabling the audience to experience theatre in its many facets. If that is not enough, inevitably one is captivated jby the stylish sense of Jun. As an opening number, “Grace,” an abstract piece of whimsy grabbed and held the audience. It a study in dynamic precision, sleek and sensuous; shbWiqg some •very, co-ordinated chorus work. Unity in movement is a strong point of Limbs. "Knee v DAnce,” choreo- • graphed by Douglas Wright, intrigued with interesting jniitaposition , of dancers .'Sith the QgggIWIOhEj B

grapnea by Russen Kerr, whose reputation as a choreographer is probably better known through his classical works, though he has created a number of contemporary ballets. “Les Enfantes du Realite” is certainly the most successful in this idiom. In commissioning Kerr to create a major work, Limbs Dance Company would have hoped for a piece which would challenge the dancers as individuals in a way different from other numbers in their repertoire and at the same time provide the opportunity to extend the over-all image and impact of the company. There can be no question about the success of this project — “Les Enfantes du Realite” offers a new dimension to this company already gaining an international reputation. The hand of a master director and choreographer, which is what we have in Kerr — who did so much to establish the early progress of the New Zealand Ballet Company, subsequently creating a future for dance in the South Island — now touches Limbs in a truly effective and positive way. Adrian Batchelor as “Fate” presents a memorably strong and complete /characterisation. He has de-

veloped this into a truly theatrical role. As the “Man” and “Woman,” Bruce Hopkins and Susan Peacock do not always abandon themselves to the demands of the more dramatic moments, but their performances sustain the essential qualities required to enable an audience to identify with the search of the universal man and woman, for love and understanding. This is very much a company piece and the need for a greater degree of dramatic input in terms of interpretation will emerge with more performances. If there is an occasional choreographic weakness, it is when Kerr allows a classical influence to be overstated or to be used less effectively than might have been achieved, but these moments are rare. The ultimate accolade must surely go to the artistic director, Mary-Jane O’Reilly, whose superb sense of artistry and talent to draw upon the technical skills of her dancers is remarkable. This programme in Christchurch is a theatrical must for anybody and everybody. Limbs are brilliant; they are gutsy, they are dynamic. Long live Limbs.