Review: 'Left and Right' at Tapac

The costumes in Left and Right are hand-knitted. Photo / Richard Smallfield

Ann Dewey's latest creation from her idyllic dance nest in Leigh takes the art of knitting as its theme in an intense and abstract exploration of rhythm and pattern. It is a great idea, a topical idea in these times of a home baking renaissance and recessionist fashion trends.

The costumes and significant expanses of set have all been hand-knitted, artfully and lovingly, by a team of volunteers, Dewey and the dancers themselves. The get-ups are quaint, flirty and quirky, and could make a fantastic fashion spread in an alternative publication or two.

The set is simple, a kinetic arrangement that at one point revolves to spill unexpected combinations of dancers from its open portal - reminiscent of the revolving doors at old-fashioned department stores. It is gorgeously decorated.

The dancers are a delight: Julie van Renen a snap-cracking whippet and mistress of isolations; Sarah Baron of the most elegant and sweet epaulement; veteran artist Liz Kirk and her unexpected comic streak; Geoff Gilson, of the uncommonly mobile face; and Lucy Marinkovich, on loan from the NZ School of Dance.

Charlotte Rose's soundtrack intrigues, with sections of dialogue - filched from the knitting circle - a rainbow poem of random words, a spitfire mantra that could be urging the consuming of silverbeet.

Then there is Dewey's choreography of plains and pearls, cables and fair isle, machine knitting and crochet. It is all there, complex and wonderful. Dewey takes pride in creating a new movement vocabulary with each of her works.

But the sum in this case is not greater than all its lovely parts. While the choreography is varied in mood, and does transport us from the tender to knitting catalogue photo-shoot hilarity, from sock-skidding chaos to calm, there is a flatness, a middle section where attention wanders, a lack of bright light and mysterious shade.

Like a scarf of many colours that goes on and shapelessly on, like the unsatisfactory ricketyness of that central revolving set that does not set off its panels to perfection, Left and Right has definite potential for further polishing.