Anna Seymour‘s Distraction Society is a short, different piece of dance that realises how we recognise relationships today. With the present screen culture all-asunder with the interaction of all kinds of dating apps, This piece explores all that is modern about how we transmit communication to each other through screens.
Taking place in the beautiful Footscray Bluestone Church, both Anna and her dance partner Amanda Lever show exquisite timing together in this short, dense piece. With a hypnotic soundtrack by Gillian Lever (aka The Vainglories), the two dancers breathe fervently while intertwining themselves. There’s a sense of perseverance where the whole space is explored as much as possible, as it’s something that needs to be done like this, especially for a piece that’s 30 minutes long.
For a period of time one of the two dancers are transfixed on their hand, acting out the incessant stare that we all seem to partake in on our phones during our commute. Watching this brought a weird sense of self-realisation that we are simply transfixed on these devices.
Explored in a beautiful way, Distraction Society was not only neatly and beautiful performed by both Seymour and Lever, but also evocative with it’s meaning in a very enchanting way.
Distraction Society has one more show tonight (September 18th) at the Bluestone Church Art Space in Footscray as part of Melbourne Fringe. More info can be found here.
The reviewer attended the opening night performance on September 16th
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