Reviewer: Rachel Foster
Upstaged rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Between Tiny Cities is an experimental dance performance by two individuals from cities very far apart in terms of geography and culture; one from Lancashire and one from Cambodia.
This is a chance to witness what surely must be a rare opportunity to see a duet with a dancer from Darwin, Lancashire – Aaron Lim and a dancer from Phnom Penh, Cambodia – Erak Mith with choreography from Sydney courtesy of internationally renowned B*boy – Nick Power. Interestingly, he has worked with Aboriginal communities in the desert to draw on rituals and culture and combine them with hip hop as well as world-renowned stage performances.
The night takes on an almost gladiatorial feel as the ‘battle commences,’ in the circular space at Contact. The two dancers are lit in the shadows – so close – we can almost touch them; it has a very urgent feral appeal, tinged with formality and structure. We see the sweat beading off their bodies and feel the panting of their physical exertion as they throw every ounce of effort into their performance.
There is no clue as to how the night will travel, which makes for a gripping watch.
To watch is sometimes nail-biting, sometimes filled with wonder and awe, sometimes slightly uncomfortable at the tension and intimacy. There is no clue as to how the night will travel, which makes for a gripping watch. Will it be friendly old-school vibes or will the two different cultures not make a connection and find common ground? Maybe they won’t get on? This performance leaves you on the edge of reason and with a thousand questions.
If you look away for a second you might miss a daring acrobatic move, they almost poke fun at the audience when they collapse in the middle of the set from exhaustion mid-way. It is difficult to detect what is for the crowd – it’s genuine but very clever.
Brave, unexpected, offbeat, quirky and humorous.
Between Tiny Cities is moving, brave, unexpected, offbeat, quirky and humorous the accompanying music very varied and gives way to powerful communication through language and physical movement. There’s no room for shyness or insecurity it’s bold, unashamed real and honest from the D*City Rockers and Cambodia’s Tiny Toones whose styles of movement fuse effortlessly together.
-Rachel Foster
Between Tiny Cities runs at Contact until Thursday 12 May 2022.