By: Augusta Supple

Augusta Supple — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 05:04:52 +0000

Dear Alana,
Thank you so much for your thoughts and your reaction to 2 One Another.
I am glad you enjoyed it and connected to it.
And clearly quite emotionally, since you appear to need to express your feelings and your reaction – quite a heartfelt, visceral one – in a very passionate way. Clearly you are a very sensitive person, for whom art is a very personal and embodied experience. Which is great. Clearly this work was made for you. And I am glad.
However, I did not have that experience and I am sharing my personal response to the work. (Just has you have).
What I am very disappointed is your last sentence and attack of my “artistic nature.”
Many people have many different responses to work – which I think is wonderful. I have read many responses eg the response from Kevin Jackson: http://kjtheatrereviews.blogspot.com.au/2012/03/2-one-another.html
and of Deborah Jones http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/arts/all-packaging-and-no-pay-off/story-fn9d344c-1226299296230
Have you read those responses too, Alana?
I don’t mind if we disagree. Not at all. In fact I welcome it. But I do not welcome any comments which seeks to personally attack.
Great that you are passionate. Great you had a good time.
And great that you disagree with me. We are both entitled to our opinions…. and I believe both entitled to our opinions without attacking each other personally in the process.

By: Alana Zammit

Alana Zammit — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 01:10:56 +0000

I can’t believe anyone would even wish to ruin this incredible work with emotion. Yes, emotion is a great link from artist to audience which will allow an easy connection to the work but this is easy and well-practiced. Rafael Bonachela has broken those boundaries and proved himself above the ordinary choreographer. He evoked the most incredible sensations and strongest connections without emotion but through movement.
I sat there watching this work on the edge of my seat, draw dropped, frozen. Amazed by the most intricate connections, folds, shapes, dynamics and articulation of the bodies as they moved through the space and each other. Bonachela created a whole separate world on that stage, a world which skimmed past its audience although it wasn’t there observing the inside as we observed it. In the most beautiful moments the bodies would catch the eye of the audience as we fell short of breath, so shocked by this engagement, curious as to what would happen next in the microsecond of intense beauty and as they looked away we were drawn deeper and deeper into this world.
With no control over my body I just sat there frozen, it was the most physically exhausting thing I have ever experienced. My eyes glued to the movement I could feel them burning and stinging but still I couldn’t blink, the stinging only grew but still I could not blink. I felt a connection stronger than any emotion that night. As one arm collided with the stomach of another I felt my stomach withdraw forcing the air out of my body, as one leg extended mine grew goose bumps. Bonachela managed to extend a physical connection to his dancers whilst conveying that and emotional on stage as we lose our bodies to the movement and the music, we cannot own our body whilst watching this work… we must let the music and movement own us in order to feel what is indescribable. At the end of work I finally felt my body again to find my face saturated in tears that I hadn’t even felt, my body shaken and still my face expressionless.
After watching the work I had to go and lay down so that my body could rest after such exhaustion… so shocked and overwhelmed by the intensity of this magnificent experience I couldn’t calm by breath or my limbs.
For days now I have not listened to music something which I do 24/7 so that I don’t risk ruining the sound of poetry and movement of 2oneanother that illuminates my thoughts.
Rafael Bonachela has created something beyond our comprehension and we should most definitely be amazed by his movement alone and its ability to engage the most personal and deep connection despite the lack of base emotions such as love, sadness etc. Those who fail to connect with this work just because it didn’t evoke any emotion within you does not speak very highly of your artistic nature.

Comments on: 2 One Another | Sydney Dance Company

By: Augusta Supple

By: Alana Zammit