Fringe Performance

MARY BRENNAN August 09 2004

Reviewed: Chronicles – A Lamentation, Teatro Delusio, Doderskratt , Reflection all at Aurora Nova @ St Stephens. L Shakti: The Shaman at The Garage

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Reflection, Aurora Nova@St Stephen's
Fans of the Russian company Derevo will doubtless have this one already on the list of "must-see" priorities. But, as this haunting and exquisite solo proves, Tanya Khabarova can claim accolades in her own right. Described as "a dance fable inspired by images of the Creation", it's like a series of visual haikus that stream across time and different belief systems – individually fleeting, but gloriously packed with memorable details and profound resonances.
Khabarova herself is simply astounding: a slender, shaven-headed figure powdered alabaster white, she has a commanding dignity as the initial magus, marshalling the emblematic components of creation, yet in a trice she's discarded costume and mien for animalistic scrabblings that the soundscore suggests are leading her from a primordial swamp.
Then, whether she's in stomping, frenetic, tribal mode or poised, as if frozen in angelic fall from grace, Khabarova asserts a magnetic hold on our eyes, our imagination. A tour de force that, on reflection, should probably be seen more than once for a full appreciation of her finesse, artistry and expressiveness

Until Aug 16, then 22-30 (except Tuesdays)


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