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Les 4 Saisons (The Four Seasons); The Tempest
AK07, Aotea Centre/Corban EstateMarch 14-18/11-16 | Reviewed by Ellen Loui
BRIGHT, light and full of playful enthusiasm, the Ballet Preljocaj offering of Les 4 Saisons is full to tipping with sweet vignettes and salubrious group work. From the rafters an often moving mobile hung with childlike interpretations of meteorological themes – including clouds, lightning and weather balloons – bobs slightly as it cycles over head. This feeling of childlike freshness is echoed in the piece itself, manifesting in the colourful lighting states, lithe humour and tactile imagery. Such images as the lime green velvet suited ninjas, a sponge man, and the large hedgehog like creatures, warmed the audience to the choreographic and performance style most easily described as athletic and quirky. This was delivered fantastically by the dancers, with some real standouts amoungst the cast whose performance quality and skill I was drawn to over and again.
I was however disappointed with the lack of depth in the choreographic investigation. Most pertinent, I felt, was an overall insensitivity to the inner life of the music which left the piece unsustaining and lacking in depth. What may have been sublime fell short and I strained to keep attention at times. This considered, there is still a joy in watching skilled performers execute a virtuosic range of movement and even if I was not a firm believer, there were many in the audience who whooped and cheered and applauded the dancers famously, especially after sections demonstrating great technical skill or highly entertaining whimsy. Of particular success with the audience this night was when a large skipping rope was employed by the dancers to perform great leaps and turns with the pulse of the music, as well as palpable suspense during some of the more intimate moments.
CLEAR, Beautiful. Masterful. There is nothing more necessary to say about Lemi Ponifasio’s production of The Tempest. The voice of this work, sentient and succinct, need not be interrupted. It speaks for itself with a sacred tongue. 
