Russell Dumas’s Australian based company, Dance Exchange works with kinaesthetic intelligence, and outside the conventional idea of performance in ‘Dance for the time being – a private audience’. In a naturally lit studio, five dancers have five performances a day, for five days, with five audience members per showing. Each intimate showing varies in how it is approached and in its content. Pre-choreographed segments or phrases may be re-arranged in order, timing and spacing. There is a final 45 minute evening performance on the last day. ‘Dance for the time being’ is an elaboration of the aesthetic potential of the unstable body. It explores the relationship between doing and being . . .” (Russell Dumas, 2015)

‘Dance for the time being’ evolves through time; no two performances are the same. Two females, Megan Payne and Beth Lane, and three males, David Huggins, Jonathan Sinatra (Jono), and David Young dance this version of the work (it is their first time touring without Russell). The dancers move with gentle, easy clarity of intention, with a lack of ego driven intention to ‘perform’. They work without narrative or theme other than dance movement for its own sake. As the order, duration and spatial position of phrases vary, unique relationships and juxtapositions create surprises and moments of humour.

At one point, they all walk as a closely formed group in a pattern of 5-4-3-2-1 alternating forwards and backwards and making an eighth turn on each shift of number. Mathematicians and architects would appreciate this segment with the directional and spatial shifts.

With numerous, fascinating variations of wrapping and unwrapping, the men’s trio is a mesmerizing kaleidoscope. There is a giving and taking of each other’s weight, use of cantilever and a precise placing of hands, all moving like a graceful organic entity. They revolve around each other, and naturally evolve from low-level moves to lifts with seeming effortlessness. A duet by Beth and Megan includes a synchronistic rolling sequence that at one point has them lying prone, face down and somehow, miraculously elevating their bodies off the floor in a ‘jump’.

They are accompanied only by the sounds their bodies make as they move and interact in the space, the sound of footsteps, body parts on the wall or a soft and subtle sound as a dancer glides one hand across an arm, and as they interact with each other. Their impressive unison movements have a clear internal unity with a fluid space for subtle and natural individualities.

In the discussion following the showing, the company members are each relaxed, open and enthusiastic about the work. They are so naturally warm and personable in relating to their audience, audience members want to linger, forego any previous plans and continue the discussion. Audience members give responses about the showing, such as, “aware but floating quality”, “dreaming, contemplative” and “tranquil clarity”. The atmosphere is so intriguing and magnetic some people decide to stay for more than one showing.

During one showing, the audience is given the opportunity to choose a section from a sheet of paper listing a variety of names for duets, trios, and group sections such as Foot Adage, Classic Rolling, Paws, Bus Stop, Bingo, Trio A and Trio B.  It’s fun, as an audience member, to be engaged as a contributor to the process of choreography in this way. There is a heightened sense of anticipation waiting to see how each audience member’s choice is revealed.

In the final evening performance, with a larger audience, there is a dimly lit studio. Dancers are already moving in the space when one says, “Wash please” and the room is awash in a warm light. Again, there is no music or accompaniment except the sound of the dancers moving and occasionally a dancer calling a cue direction to the others, such as “I will replace you, Jono”, and “spontaneous sheep”. There is a time when all dancers are still and then the directive “Go” and all walk into the corner, backs to audience with a lovely shadowy effect. From the showing I recognise many of the sections, but the order and configurations are different, determined by the directions spoken by one of the dancers.

This creates a delightfully random interplay in the juxtaposition of phrases, in how/when dancers enter and exit and the various organisation and arrangement of the choreographed solos, duets, trios and group segments. The ‘Foot Adage’, done as a women’s duet and the ‘Men’s Trio’ are performed simultaneously, leaving the audience to determine their experience as they choose when and where to look.

Throughout the piece, there is a clear understanding of weight, counterweight and leverage along with clear directional awareness. As with the showings, this piece does not roar at you “Look at me!” Instead, the audience is gently invoked into an appreciation of the movement qualities as they fold and unfold in an evolution of forms.

An interesting feature of the company’s creative process is that Russell will do a series of movements and the dancers play with it in depth to discover its various dimensions. I ask some of the company members to describe a standout feature of their own experience with this work: Megan – ‘honesty’, Beth – ‘addictive’, David (Young) – ‘finding ease in what are difficult movements, delving deeper to discover the virtuosity’.

The dancers possess a profound focus, a consciousness of centre that radiates through the bones, muscles, skin and seemingly every fibre of their being, as they manoeuvre around the space and each other. The Dance Exchange dancers, through their embodiment of this deep level of sensual consciousness, elevate the audience to a heightened sense of awareness. Every move seems embedded with this perception in a seamless flow of transitions from simple to highly complex and difficult moves. This embodied, centred consciousness is the virtuous quality I love about Dance Exchange.

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