With very heavy bass and a torrent of flashing lights, Amygdala hits the stage. The creation of
emerging commercial dance trained choreographer Amelia Butcher, this show is a spectacle that
dramatises the intricacies of the human brain, to full-throttle effect. A trigger warning for the
intensity of the lighting effects and loudness of the sound may be prudent in subsequent
performances, as the audio-visual elements may not be within all audience members ‘comfort zone’.
The dancing is impressive and relentlessly acrobatic, as the ensemble climb and tumble over each
other, replicating the multitude thought processes of the mind. The phases of the show are various,
as we are guided through different regions and functions of the brain. The choreography maps
tumult with percussive movements and dramatic facial expressions, the dancers highly synchronised
and invested in the performance.
The audience is given brief reprieve from the volume as the vagus nerve is explored, the ensemble
gathering into a circle to breathe slowly and make meditative movements. This progresses into a
climax of bass, strobe lighting and frenetic movement as the ‘shadow self’ or ‘mind’, performed by
Amelia Butcher and protagonist, Elisa Gates, tussle in the half light. Butcher’s eerie facial expressions
and Gates’ embodiment of battle are imposing.
A great foray into the workings of the brain with plenty of drama and skilled commercial dance to
keep you entertained, Amygdala will benefit from toning down the volume for future performances
so as not to detract from the talents of the dancers.

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