Dance Review: STONE: Drift

Scotiabank Dance Centre
September 21, 2006 8:00pm

I first experienced the wonderment of the Aeriosa Dance Society at this year's Vancouver International Jazz Festival. Suspended four stories above Gastown on climbing ropes anchored to the roof, they performed their gravity defying dance using the side of the building as their stage.

With STONE: Drift they bring their aerial dancing inside to the more predictable atmosphere of a theatre. With no worries about wind, weather, and building rash they are allowed the luxury to create an entirely new show. By combining the music of François Houle, lighting, and projected imagery with their acrobatic dance choreography, they form an entirely new dance experience.

Aeriosa brings a whole new meaning to "breaking the fourth wall" as the dancers swing right over the heads of the audience. No longer limited to the floor they make full use of the entire three dimensional space of the stage. The back wall of the theatre becomes another floor as we get a bird's eye view of a dance sequence. With still and motion picture images projected onto the wall the dancers enter a new environment before our eyes.

I have to marvel at the athleticism and skill of the dancers. Suspended in mid-air in their climbing harnesses they almost effortlessly twirl, spin, pose, push, and catch each other. Only when the music fades do you hear the grunts and pants of their considerable efforts. If you thought your Pilates class was challenging try doing it suspended in mid-air, and upside down.

This energetic young dance company is breaking new ground. There's nothing like this outside a Cirque du Soleil show. Check them out at the Scotia Dance Centre until September 30.