Terrain has been described as a hymn to country. It transports the audience to Lake Eyre. The work explores the relationship between indigenous people and the country and how the landscape becomes a second skin.
There are nine performances that flow together to make Terrain.
Red Brick
Shields
Reborn
Spinifex
Salt
Scar
Landform
Reflect
Deluge
The music and dance fluidly move from one section to the next. The whole work was very hypnotic and there were times when yes, I was watching but my mind was wondering as if in a trance. The music was modern, it contained some harsh electronic makeup and at times a more classical feel but the overall effect was very calming. This could have been because the dancers were very smooth, soft and flowing. The colours of the costumes were again soft and warm as were some of the stage backdrops. All these elements came together to make a dreamlike production.
There were pieces/ elements that really stood out for me, the piece of music which had a great cello solo, it was very rich and warm. The Spinifex dance was one of my favourites even though I thought there were birds until I read the program! The head dresses were twigs and I thought they were feathers! I also enjoyed Shields particularly the way the dancers effortless used them in the dance. The production did give you a sense of Lake Eyre and the connection between land and people. This was achieved not by one element but the combination of the dance, music, costumes, scenery and lighting working together to achieve the desired outcome.
There was some variety in the dances but I do believe there wasn't enough considering the hypnotic nature of the whole work, more variety might have stopped the mind wandering quite as much. I was glued to the stage and the spell was only broken by the enthused standing ovation.
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