Galatos is packed. We are asked to shuffle along to let people who are standing get to the few empty seats. The projector screen lifts, revealing the attractive and provocative girls of Street Candee Dance Company clad in gold short shorts and white. We feel as though we have stepped onto the  set of a music video. The dancing is catchy, clean and fierce. The narrative captures a series of experiences from the actual dancers’ lives. It is heartening to see Rina Chae involving dialogue from international and local women who ground the show with real-world examples of being in the commercial industry, and sticking to your guns.

Flawless is an ambitious display which showcases the strengths of each dancer. The performers vary in experience, age and style strengths. Sometimes the concept/narrative is not well-matched by the movement. Perhaps this is impacted by the nature of commercial dance? Director and choreographer of Street Candee, Rina Chae, and artistic director and choreographer Kim Ty,  have created a fast-paced show that connects with the company’s central themes of empowerment, coming to know yourself, and helping each other shine.

The audience definitely enjoys themselves. There are some entertaining call-outs from people who evidently know the performers. Chanting, raucous laughter, and cries for encore pierce the proceedings. A special note goes to Rina’s friend Jaz who MCs the event. She is continually engaging, honest and amusing.

The performers are beautiful, and are mostly convincing in their presentation. Facial expressions slip at times into mechanical smiles, and in each number it isn’t always the centre front performer that pops. Although it is mentioned that some of the performers have not been in training for very long, I still would have liked to see fully extended knees and feet from the whole cast. Performer Laurent contributed spoken text and song to Flawless, demonstrating the variety of skills within Street Candee. One group that consistently shines is the Jaackers, New Zealand’s first waacking fam. Their energy and commitment to movement is energising. 

Overall it would be pleasing to see more dynamic variation. The highly energetic pieces are not always matched by some segments. The costumes showcase these women’s bodies in a way that fits with the industry they are in, although as a whole show I am not convinced that the costume aided the narrative.

Flawless focuses on women artists, evidences their challenges, reveals their flaws, celebrates being woman. It is party-like and entertaining. These women exude feminine power.

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