MARROW (DANCE)

 

Concept and Direction by Daniel Reilly

Choreography by Daniel Reilly with Australian Dance Theatre’s Company Artists

Composition and Sound Design by James Howard (Jaadwa)

Australian Dance Theatre

The Playhouse, Canberra Theatre Centre to 1 August

 

Reviewed by Len Power 31 July 2025

 

“What if we all went home, to Country, unplugged from social media and took a break from the political news cycle for an extended period of time?” First Nations journalist, Stan Grant’s words were the inspiration for this bold new work by Daniel Reilly and the Australian Dance Theatre company.

Composer, James Howard, set the mood with a driving electronic soundscape, like the heartbeat of the nation, that you could feel as well as hear.

On a cavernous, dark setting, designed by Matthew Adey of House of Vnholy, the dancers swirled around the space, their individual lives caught up with the same pressures and emotions. With a return to Country, there was peace and time to heal, gather strength and contemplate the future. Moments of high emotion, deep discussions, feelings strongly expressed, and the influences of the past gave hope to moving forward with a renewed and shared optimism.

Australian Dance Theatre's company of dancers

Daniel Reilly’s vision for this work was superbly realized in this haunting and fascinating work. His six dancers - Joshua Doctor, Yilin Kong, Zachary Lopez, Karra Nam, Patrick O’Luanaigh and Zoe Wozniak – gave a clarity to the emotional aspects of Reilly’s choreography while dancing with precision, individually and in groupings.

Australian Dance Theatre's company of dancers

As well as the music, there was an excellent lighting design by Matthew Adey that added a strong atmosphere to the work. The clever and imaginative use of smoke effects by the dancers gave the work a supernatural feel at times.

Australian Dance Theatre is Australia’s oldest continuing contemporary dance company. Founded in Adelaide in 1965 by Elizabeth Cameron Dalman, it was established with the aspiration of “expanding the boundaries of dance”. It was good to see Dalman in the audience at this performance of “Marrow”.

Daniel Reilly and the Australian Dance Theatre have produced a thoughtful, haunting and memorable work with a strong and appealing message.

 

Photos by Morgan Sette

Len Power's reviews are also broadcast on Artsound FM 92.7 in the ‘Arts Cafe’ and ‘Arts About’ programs.