An artist is only as good as their tools, and that is definitely the case when it comes to the artistic medium of dance. Whatever the talent and vision of the choreographer may be, it is down to the dancers to bring that vision to life and present it in the best light possible.
How fortunate it is, therefore, that when it comes to bringing to life the vision of Dry Spell choreographer Rose Philpott, she has five versatile dancers who do so with energy, talent, and fluidity of movement that truly elevate the piece.
Rose's talent is clear from the opening moments of this performance, as the audience is shown only the dancer's feet, the rest of their bodies hidden by a piece of blue fabric as they begin to move. While their bodies are hidden, there is no hiding for the dancers, as with all the attention on their feet, those feet must move in perfect harmony, there is no room for mistakes here.
And there are no mistakes to be seen, from that opening scene onwards the five dancers are in perfect harmony and unison when the choreography requires. At other times, they swap that harmony for displays of almost manic anger and confusion, as they take the audience on a journey into the unknown.
There are moments of hedonism, where the dancers weave their bodies under, over and across each other with such effortless grace it is almost as though you are watching one dancer, with many arms and legs, move across the stage. Then there are moments of sorrow or anger, as well as playfulness, with each dancer having their own moment to take control of the narrative in some way.