Let Us Dance

HIP Company’s critically acclaimed production ‘Let Us Dance’ is an immersive concert experience that transports audiences to the seat of French royalty in the 18th century, and perfectly captures the opulence of the time. Be guided through an exquisitely crafted ‘suite’ of Baroque dances drawn from the some of the world’s most beautiful operas, ballets and chamber music, and performed on rare historical instruments. HIP Company directors Bonnie de la Hunty (soprano), Sarah Papadopoulos (violin) and Krista Low (‘cello) are joined by acclaimed guest artists on Baroque flute, percussion and harpsichord, and two professional dancers.

With coquettish Minuets, sensual Sarabandes and thrilling Chaconnes performed by WA’s finest musicians and dancers, ‘Let Us Dance’ reimagines the Baroque dance suite with a contemporary twist in a visually stunning display. You may even find yourself on the dance floor!

Form and Style

The audience surrounds the ensemble of musicians in an intimate setting –  they are both spectators and participants in the performance. The concert, which runs for roughly one hour, progresses in the manner of an 18th century dance suite, with a varied programme of virtuosic and characterful vocal and instrumental works that illustrate the beauty and versatility of the Baroque genre. The dancers separate and recombine for the various pieces, sometimes in featured solos and pairs, but always enhancing the drama of the music. At the mid-point of the concert, the audience is invited to stand and learn a simple, stately minuet, taught by one of the dancers and accompanied by the band. In the finale, the ensemble comes together for a rousing, folk-like chaconne. The audience is given paper streamers to shower the performers in a spectacle of colour and movement.

Community Engagement

As a show that highlights the link between dance and music in the Baroque era, there are many opportunities for HIP Company to engage with local communities in an educational capacity. For example, directly after the performance, the audience may wish to stay for a Q&A session on stage in which they can ask questions of a select panel of musicians and dancers.

Workshops in which the dancers teach simple elements of Baroque dance may be presented with live accompaniment by the musicians. This would allow those with minimal experience of music or dance to experience and actively participate in both these art forms in a meaningful way.

At an advanced level, adult or tertiary level musicians may wish to engage with HIP Company musicians in a masterclass setting to discuss technique and style of Baroque music. Open sessions may demonstrate the rare instruments on which HIP Company performs and the differences between these and their modern equivalents; and may be conducted as independent events or as part of community music groups and orchestras in their rehearsal sessions.

For primary aged students. HIP Company would engage experienced music educator and performer Thea Rossen to devise a school incursion based on ‘Let Us Dance’ which would then be presented by the performers themselves. This session would distil the ideas of the original show around music and movement, and their influence on one another, and may be tailored to incorporate the existing curriculum, for example to consolidate the fundamentals of music including time signature, rhythm and tempo. HIP Company musicians would also be able to introduce and demonstrate their instruments to students.

Matinee performances including a post-concert Q&A session may be held for students who may not be able to attend an evening performance of ‘Let Us Dance’, or, if schools have an appropriate performance space such as a large gym or assembly hall, a reduced version of the show may be performed.

REVIEWS

“Every music student learns that a Minuet is a dance in triple time, from a collection of dances known as a Suite. It’s one thing to learn the theory, quite another to witness the dance itself… HIP Company reconstructed a Suite, complete with dancers in French period costumes and atmospheric lighting… The program items unfolded like a degustation menu, each piece exquisitely crafted, its flavours all too fleeting. After this sublime sensory experience the Suite will never be the same again!” – Rosalind Appleby, review for Seesaw Magazine, 19/5/21. Appleby also named Let Us Dance in her top 3 WA shows for Seesaw’s ‘Cream of the Crop’ 2021 round-up.

“A short continuo led to a period favourite, Lascia ch’io pianga, from Handel’s opera Rinaldo; De la Hunty sweetly mournful in the spotlight, sparse strings highlighting her character’s lonely plight. Dancers added a poignant touch, gently scattering petals in her wake… Marin Marais, Purcell and Charpentier wound up the program, dancers saving their athletic best to last in driving rhythms and vigorous steps around a floor festooned with crepe-paper streamers; a bucolic and breezy finale reaping raucous applause and even foot stamping.” – David Cusworth, review for The West Australian, 19/5/21.

“This was a stunning show with world class musicians and dancers from Western Australia. I hope they will perform it again. Highly recommended.” – Audience testimonial.

Available Marketing Collateral

From our 2021 and 2022 performances of Let Us Dance, we have a professional photograph/flyer artwork by photographer and graphic designer Nick FitzPatrick, performance videos and photos by Partografia Photography and Film (including a short trailer and a highlights reel), headshots and biographies of all artists, and media releases which we have sent to journalists and radio presenters. We would adapt these as required for any future shows.

credits

HIP Company is a collective of young professional musicians from Perth, directed by Bonnie de la Hunty (soprano), Sarah Papadopoulos (Baroque violin), and Krista Low (Baroque cello). The three directors are specialists in Historically Informed Performance Practice of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, having collectively studied and performed this music with institutions and ensembles around Australia, the UK and Netherlands over the last 12 years.

HIP Company launched to critical acclaim in 2020, and has produced 14 concerts and an album (Pastorales: Arias for the Open Air) since, each being a thoughtful and engaging curation of early music from a modern perspective. Let Us Dance also features guest Andrew Skinner (Baroque Flute), James Huntingford (Harpsichord) and Jet Kye Chong (Baroque percussion), all highly sought-after experts in the field of historically informed performance practice.

Our two professional dancers will be drawn from our past performers: Ekaterini Alfred, Brent Rollins, Drew Holloway, Elliot Dunn, Chloe Hinton, and Anneliese Faase, all recent WAAPA graduates.

Thea Rossen will develop and script a complementary educational show for school students. She has been writing, facilitating and presenting shows and workshops for children and community members for over 12 years, for groups like the West Australian Symphony Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony Orchestras, Musica Viva in Schools, Melbourne Recital Centre and Melbourne University.