Vision of a Nomad's Arc Dreaming was the most exotic, unusual and popular of Diversions Asahi Live on the Square performances featuring dance. On Friday, the large audience not only forced an encore but wanted to keep the performers there all night.
Composer, musical director and multi-instrumentalist Michael Cuming and co-producer and percussionist Sylvana van Dijk operated from either side of the stage behind banks of instruments and surrounded by eucalyptus branches which, in the darkness intensified by spotlighting the performers, turned the stage into a semblance of the Australian bush. Their blend of didgeridoo, guitar, harp, keyboards, singing and various percussion instruments in a fusion of classical, jazz, traditional and contemporary styles made exciting and varied listening.
Like an Aboriginal seanchai, Samuel (Koobi) Bong, with white body paint and red costume and headband, told stories from his indigenous culture. Tales of kangaroos, emus, snakes, crocodiles, honeybees, hunters and fishermen were illustrated in mime and dance by Peter (Gnulan) Ross, sometimes aided by additional costuming, such as a kangaroo skin worn as a cloak. The basic dance movement was the knocking of knees together from a plie in second position, accentuated by the white V-shapes painted on the dancer's legs. Occasionally, Ross told the story and Bong illustrated it, but both men always danced the energetic rhythmic finale to each tale.
I was sorry that Sharman Derani Parsons only appeared twice, for not only did she move with extraordinary grace, but her combination of the turns and jumps of contemporary dance with traditional Aboriginal movement made me wish for a whole dance piece on the Dreamtime, making some use of this blend of styles.