Resolution 2019: Bakani Pick-Up Company/bun and keity/Vanessa Guevara

Bun & Keity. Photo by Peeling dough off the floor. Photo by Keity Pook

Putzi Kamionka sneaks onto the stage in a pair of mismatched socks and sandals, carrying her signature tinfoil and infectious smile. She is a deliriously silly character, swaying her hips vigorously and grooving awkwardly to the urban techno-beats. Fascinated by every shiny thing, she spots a moonlit egg hanging in the air and has us on the edge of our seats as she makes fumbling (and ‘hazardous’) attempts at climbing a ladder to get hold of it. Absolutely endearing, and performed brilliantly by Celine Fortenbacher, the piece is utterly hilarious and meaningful. It reminds us to embrace the silly in this overly serious world.

Here comes a bee invasion! In GOLKK Theatre’s rest[less], four dancers pierce through a hexagon framed paper, evoking laughter from the audience with what appears to be a peculiar representation of bee wings: awkward shimmering jazz hands and stiff splayed fingers. The busy bees reveal their internalised frustration through a series of spasm-like movements and perpetual buzzing sounds. They break into a flying frenzy, frantically running in circles. Their tiny bee wings, however, take them high but not far. The repetitive twitching just doesn’t seem enough to sustain the piece as it loses its spark over time.

PaMa’s company’s NON SONO is a skilful combination of juggling and dance. The duo comprising Chris Patfield and Francesca Mari toss the balls into the air to create a mesmerizing display of planets orbiting. With their apparent chemistry, the pair go on to throw the balls between their limbs, unfurling and twisting around each other’s bodies, gliding effortlessly across the stage in a ballroom sequence. While the result is hypnotic and almost exhilarating, it is short-lived by the sudden interruption of overly frequent, individual static juggling.

Reviewed on 31st of January by Wen Amanda Koh at The Place within Resolution Festival