Reviewed by Barry Lenny, Wednesday 28th October 2015
Michelle Ryan's life, from early childhood, was all about dancing. She became a member of the Australian Dance Theatre under renowned choreographer,
Meryl Tankard, also working with her as assistant choreographer, before touring the world until, at the age of thirty, she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Confined to a wheelchair, she stopped dancing for a decade until she was invited to perform in the 2011 Brisbane Festival season of
Out of Context - for Pina by Les Ballet C de la B. The company's founder and choreographer, Alain Platel, asked her why she had ceased to dance, prompting her return.
The Adelaide Festival Centre are now presenting Torque Show's phenomenal production,
Intimacy, featuring
Michelle Ryan, who has been the Artistic Director of Restless Dance, a company for people of various abilities, since January 2013. The live musical accompaniment is provided by Lavender Vs Rose, guitarist Simon Eszeky, and vocalist Emma Bathgate, and her dance partner is Vincent Crowley who, along with Ross Ganf and Ingrid Weisfelt, are the people behind Torque Show. Intimacy, which had its Premiere in Melbourne and has been to London, won the 2015 Australian Dance Award for Outstanding Achievement in Independent Dance. It is easy to see why this piece won such a prestigious award.
As the audience arrives, Ryan sits at a small table with a glass and bottle of wine, at the far end of the performance area, greeting people she whom knows. Meanwhile, Eszeky plays some gentle jazz, while lying down on a padded bed. His rendition of The Way You Look Tonight had me singing along in my head. The piece is a collaborative effort by the four performers, the musicians as involved as the two dancers, and also using the performance space.
Accompanied by Eszeky, Bathgate opens the show singing
Misty, and what an amazing voice she has. Many of the lyrics about the debilitating effects of falling in love take on a new meaning in the context of this performance and it also signals that metaphor is at the core of the work. Things get weird very quickly. Ryan begins by recounting a dream or, more correctly, a nightmare, interrupted by
Accentuate the Positive from Eszeky and, Bathgate.
Crowley plays the part of a suitor, or string of suitors, to whom she tells a series of dreams, similarly disturbing, thus alienating him. The metaphor here, of course, is how people can be hard to engage if they perceive a barrier between so-called able and disabled people. There is so much happening in this series of encounters, each separated by songs, as you should discover for yourself.
Crowley's hilarious striptease, the clever use of sleeping bags, readings from Fifty Shades of Grey, chatting around a campfire, all this and more find their way into this highly imaginative work. Keep looking below the surface, though, and there is a lot more than at first appears. There are serious concepts embedded in the comical sequences.
There are other sections, such as a trip to the woods, where she is left sitting to the side, an onlooker, while her partner engages in activities with others. There is the parting, a reminder of Ryan's own divorce. There is also a stunningly beautiful moment when she is dressed in glittering blue and, under blue light, dances intimately with Crowley. She takes a few steps unaided towards him, a dip and glide motion, then steps into his arms, her feet slowly lifting off the floor as he swings her around the dance floor, their arms entwining one another creating intricate patterns.
John Ford's lighting design is an important element of the production.
Ryan leaves us with a clear understanding of the difficulties that she faces in moving, and the immense inner strength that she has, refusing to give in to her illness. This is one of those rare performances that everybody should see.
Michelle Ryan is a sensational dancer, an equally superb choreographer, and a great inspiration to others.
There is no doubt whatsoever that this is a performance that will stay with you for many reasons: the passion of Ryan and the commitment of the others, the marvellous music, the comic moments, the poignant moments, the enormous inspiration that it can give and, of course, Ryan's exceptional performance in which she pushes herself further and harder as the work progresses. With only four performances, you will need to be fast to snap up any remaining tickets, but try as hard as you can.
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