I went to Sydney because of either chance or an Act of God, depending on how you want to look at it. My husband decided we were going to a 5-day training in EEG Biofeedback in Sydney - it doesn't matter that he decided only 6 days before we left, he is a guy who moves mountains and warps time when he decides something needs to happen, so we went. Please understand that everything I report is through the eyes of somebody who felt like they'd been catapulted halfway around the world on the end of a very long bungee cord with no advance warning - I think it enhanced my perception, but may have caused a little distortion!
During the day for the week we were there I went to the training - 9 to 5, reviewing neuroanatomy, looking at endless EEG traces, deciphering amplifier circuit diagrams, learning clinical treatment protocols, and learning to use the equipment. In the evenings (5 of them, to be exact) I went to Lord of the Dance at the Sydney Entertainment Center - to get my brain waves Energized and Organized in my own highly preferred fashion!
First - a million thanks to CathyMom, who was wonderful all the way. We shared times that were challenging, moving, fun, and just plain outrageous, I will never forget it, and I found another real friend. Great also to meet Denise, and Alex, and Ken, and Helen, and Bill, Penny, and Chloe, and all the other Aussie Flatheads. Special thanks to Helen and her friends, who on all 5 nights kept the fires burning in the front rows, yelling, cheering, standing up, and otherwise bucking the audience trend to show the troupe their appreciation. (I think Cathy has already told you the story of our outrageous (mis)behavior Friday night, that upset the venue folks mightily but we hope gave Michael and the troupe the right message!) Second, thanks to all the folks from here who kept energy flowing to us while we were there. It made a big difference.
OK, the shows. Cathy has done a lot of description of the shows, and I won't repeat - just hit some things that seemed interesting to me about these. First, the troupe was just great. These people are so assured and have such depth in their performances now, it shows up in every number. Yes, they do the same dances every night, but the feeling you get is that it's new every time, new and fresh and completely wondrous. There were, by Cathy's report, new dancers who had just joined the show in Sydney - they fit right in beautifully.
I really want to say a word here about Catriona Hale. Her Morrighan is just terrific, and her development of the part since the last shows in the US in amazing. She is very different from Gillian - catlike, closer to the ground, more sinuous and stretched out - this girl is DEADLY! She gave every corner of the stage meaning in relation to her movement - this is a Temptress with eyes in the back of her head, and after watching her dance you know that NOBODY's going to get away. It was a real pleasure to be able to see her open up into this role.
And Michael - what can you say about Michael? Well, having seen an almost embarrassing number of shows, I can say that Michael always dances perfectly - but there are differences in the flavor of that perfection. Sometimes he's playful, sometimes serious, sometimes brooding (like Hamlet,) sometimes higher, sometimes longer, sometimes even transcendent - different every time, within the framework of an always amazing performance. In Sydney what leapt out of Michael's Lord was power - deep, burning, and focused, barely containable within the steps or the story. It was like watching a martial arts master at work - admirable, incomprehensible, and a little scary - made me glad he's on my side (at least I hope he is!)
Michael seems to use more energy from the ground now as he dances, and it adds a slightly darker and more substantial tone to every movement. The struggles become more real, the love deeper and more complex, the joy more meaningful - the whole experience is now powerfully and achingly human.
On the last night my luck with tickets ran out (I thought) and I ended up in the stratosphere, at the back of the arena, so high up I could hardly find a face on the stage with my binoculars. I thought I was doomed - but actually it turned out to be one of the best nights. The only thing I could see on the stage was the choreography - no faces, no eyes, just movement. I had never looked at the production this way before, and it was a revelation. Nobody puts this many dancers on a stage, doing so many different things, with such complex vectors of projection and return and disengagement and reengagement, and doing it all so FAST - it is awesome. It's very organic - it's almost a schematic of the energies of life and growth, in nature or in human community. It is profound, and brilliant, and how come nobody talks about the genius in the choreography? I guess we don't see it when we're in the front, we're too busy feeling that human energy, or watching beloved faces.
The other wonder up in the "nosebleeds" was the music. I was right under the speakers, and the quality of the music was astonishing. Fresh, clear, totally new - every instrument and every line was like crystal. The performances were completely alive, full of the individuality and expressiveness and spirit of each musician, and the depth of the ensemble could really be heard. The combination of the quality of the music and the new vision of the choreography was stunning - I had never seen THIS show before.
Sitting in the "crow's nest" section on Sunday had the feeling of sitting in a weekday movie matinee - sparsely settled, relaxed, put your feet up on the seat - but you would 't be there if you weren't serious. Unlike the frenetic scene on the floor, our section was relaxed and open - we made friends up there. The people closest to me reminded me of a final dimension of the show - maybe in the long run the most important of all. They were Irish immigrants to Australia, and spoke about their gratitude to Michael for making them feel so very proud to be Irish. Both were in the process of recovery from some difficult problems, and said they had been there at every show to get a boost of healing energy and motivation from the show - they had seen it last year, and it had provided support and inspiration to them for the whole year. The woman had a signed picture of Michael that she carried almost like a talisman - she said no, she wouldn't try to get another, this would last forever. Their gratitude flowed from their eyes, and could be felt from their hearts - we hugged before we left, and it was a blessing.
So much for my "lousy" seats.
Michael was very generous with his time after the shows in Sydney - there must now be tons of folks in Sydney with those coveted "one on one" photographs US fans haven't been able to get for a while. He talked with us, and hugged, and encouraged the kids, and was generally lovely (I know, you knew that already.) On the first night I told Michael (who might have been just a little surprised to see me there) that I had brought him love from folks in the US, who miss him terribly and love him so very much. Before I could even finish my sentence, he folded me into one of those hugs, and held me for a while... When he let me go he said something that I didn't quite hear - I turned around and said "What?" He gave me an intense look and said "I said, be SURE to tell those people I love them..." So, for those of you that I haven't already told, MICHAEL SAID TO TELL YOU HE LOVES YOU...
In the Light
TheOtherSusanna
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