….The form is primarily that of contemporary dance, but an aspect of theatre is utilised in that some of the characters speak, with varying degrees of success.

In a club setting, the choreography comprises solos, duets and small group dances, and is very grounded…

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Straight Laced  is an exploration of the nature of sensuality and sexuality –  and the language of dance is the perfect vehicle for the expression of heartfelt ideas. This is an assured work by choreographer Craig Bary in collaboration with the fine dancers of ChoreoCo and guests Manu Reynaud and Luigi Vesco from Footnote, and it resonates on many levels.

From the moment the audience enters, the warmth and complicité in the group is palpable: they are available and inviting as performers.

In an old fashioned dance hall world, partners come and go as they navigate the rites of courtship; sensuality is the fuel that fires sexuality in this incredible group of dancers. Bodies are simply bodies before they are sexed and the mind or social expectations decides what is correct behaviour.

The choreographic language is mainly focused on sinuous, gorgeously rendered partnering; the piece morphs into double duets where males and females move through inventive momentum-based lifts that occasionally suspend in precarious and unusual balances. A world of relationship is portrayed through touch and the muscularity of these interactions, but lurking on the periphery is a sense of dis-ease with homogenous heterosexuality.

Gradually throughout the work, this disquiet takes centre stage.

Throughout the evening characters appear and disappear as the dancers move in and out of the chorus as Bary masterfully controls the overall rhythm and dynamic of the work with brilliant segues between scenes. This is aided by the substantial and emotive score by Nigel Collins (a little loud and pitchy on opening night) and eloquent lighting design by Grace Morgan-Riddell.

There are breath-taking solos and a minimal amount of unison dancing. Repetition is used sparingly and brilliantly throughout to accentuate key moments.

Dramatic scenes are used to express more specific ideas. Text, representing the thoughts of society, is used to pummel a dancer into submission or to pull two dancers away from each other. Lucy Marinkovich takes the lead  here, using her voice stridently as a disapproving presence in a jarringly blunt scene where Luigi Vescio is identified and shamed for his errant desires.

Phoebe Heyhoe, who has been hiding in the shadows, floats through the space in a whimsical and languid solo as if finding her body for the first time.

Manu Reynaud, always a dynamic performer, and  Vescio dance a powerful duet full of attraction and repulsion that ends with a repeating and agonising chest-pull movement.

Marinkovich – clear and expressive; Michael Gudgeon – bright and fresh, and Sarah Gatzonis – gutsy and surprising –  are revealed in a trio, where again the gulf between their bodies is contorted as they explore the edges of their sensuality.

Jana Castillo and Serene Lorimer ooze into their attraction in a commanding duet but are cleverly drawn apart, leading into a virtuoso  all-too- brief solo by Castillo, with incredible extension that collapses into the floor.

The action returns to Vescio as he struggles with this band of beautifully strong woman as they eventually encroach upon him and turn the tables of objectification. And the work ends with a powerful and heart rendering scene, performed with absolute commitment by Vescio, speaking volumes of the skill of Craig Bary to clearly articulate his message.

It is a great pleasure to spend time with this incredible group of dancers and to experience their artistry in such an intimate space – images from the work will resonate far into the future

Each generation needs to express for themselves these struggles which are still potent despite the work of dance pioneers such as Lloyd Newson, Michael Parmente,r Douglas Wright and Paul Jenden – we still live in a pervasively straight world – think the recent public displays of Destiny Church or Russia and other countries leaning towards ultra conservative attitudes to sexuality. It is refreshing and poignant to see these themes being explored now.

* An initiative by the newly restructured Footnote New Zealand Dance, ChoreoCo. is a special company of six dancers on short-term company contracts. Selected from the 25  dancers who attended the intensive Footnote Choreolab in January, this new creative initiative strongly underlines the commitment by Footnote to sustainable and secure careers in dance.

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