REVIEWED BY KIERA EDELSTEIN
EDITED BY CHARLOTTE FRASER
It’s not the best time, actually, just as you are about to write a review, to think about why it is that someone might want to read that review or why the creators of the show might want it written. Obviously, it wasn’t something that crossed my mind when I signed up to watch Flare’s end of year spectacular Core, or something I considered while sitting stuffed into the packed-out audience of the Union Theatre. Truthfully, I was just excited at the opportunity to see a really good dance show; I took the tickets and dove in.
Despite the fact that Flare has put on 23 annual productions, from my searching, these showcases have only appeared in The Dialog three times and the last time a Dialoger wrote on a Flare show was over three years ago. It makes sense given that The Dialog is in name a student theatre review paper and Flare’s productions might not necessarily always be considered ‘theatre.’
It came to me only while writing; I wonder what is different about this Flare show that they wanted a review. Were they crossing their fingers that someone with a sense of movement quality would show up to discuss the technical feats of the performances? Might it be they decided that Core embodies something new for the company – an attempt to drive it further, make it more cohesive, imbed it with more meaning.
Given the 25 years of history that this company has, proving this point and stretching this distance would have been a challenging balance to strike. Many parts of the showcase seem inseparable from the traditions and norms of Flare, which are inherently ‘dance’ coded. I delighted in the fact that audience members were encouraged to whoop and cheer for their loved ones – in fact a few times I pretended that I knew a performer, so I might have lease to join in the exclamatory fun. So too was it beautiful that nearly every audience member was burdened by at least one celebratory or break-a-leg bouquet. The electric energy of the audience, the laser focus on loved ones, the encouragement of filming, all these features feel distinctly different from the traditional experience of sitting down to watch a show at the Union.
Perhaps, however, different also from a traditional dance showcase, Core demanded theatrical engagement. The show was divided by eleven segments which each explored a different choreographer’s (or pair of choreographers) response to the thematic impetus of ‘What lies at the Core?’ Despite the gargantuan task of fitting eleven fully realised concepts into a 2-hour performance, without bombarding the viewer or bloating the showcase, this was a well mounted endeavour. Namely, constituency of structure, where each new engagement with this prompt was introduced by a title card and an introductory video, made the variant path through these different segments feel smooth. This clarity allowed for the creative potential of the works – from stunning jellyfish-like silk work in Justin Lin’s ‘Sparks of Us’ to smokey and romantic contemporary in Max Golsworthy’s ‘Heartstrings’ – to shine through.
One notable expression of creativity in this format was Momoka Honda & Sunjae Kim’s ‘Eclipse.’ Through its video introduction and its evocative dance, the piece explored the astral phenomenon and transposed it into a metaphor for the romance between when opposites attract. Honda and Kim contrived two choruses, one for the Sun and the other for the Moon, that each had their own distinct style, relationship to music and physical embodiment. Chemistry sparked in the climatic overlap between these two groups, enlivening new energies from the other in a powerful set of duets. It certainly was theatre.
Another absolutely flooring piece was Creative Directors Gaia Facino and Paul Huynh’s ‘If Then,’ which began from a desolate place of heartbreak, to chart all the things that would be lost ‘If’ a relationship had never happened. Dancing across the firsts of a meet-cute, hooking up, fighting, finding love, the piece was underwritten by choreography that was clean, deeply passionate and extremely clever. At one (extremely enticing) point all the performers stripped down to boxers and sleeping singlets while on stage, in a moment that highlighted both the deep fun the performers were having, and also their trust in their choreographers.
Many of the pieces were exceptionally conceptual and creative, exemplifying the new possibilities enabled when a dance company dives into conceptual storytelling. However, as demonstrated by the variant vignettes listed above, at times these pieces drifted further from the intellectual prompt of ‘Core.’ This is likely a consequence of the variant styles which were explored within the piece; it’s hard to make the vague abstract ‘Core’ into a commercial-style dance. I’d be excited to see how Flare can continue to take their conceptual work further and become more enmeshed in creating stories through their collection of pieces.
That being said, given the scale of the task – to push new community members onto stage and challenge choreographers to stimulate themselves in new ways, confining eleven pieces to one theme would have been very difficult. More importantly, too many restrictions to aesthetics likely would’ve hindered the ability for the showcase to celebrate and elevate its community in the ways that it did.
Indeed, some of the most enrapturing parts of the show was the elements that leant furthest away from the thematic ‘core’. Divya Bansal’s ‘It’s Complicated’ was delectably cheeky. In a creative video Bansal and company president Devin Rai performed as judges introducing a ‘dance battle’ between ‘Team Natasha’ and ‘Team Bipasha.’ What followed was an explosion of colour and drama, as an inter-rivalry-relationship emerged. Scored by ‘Maneater’, ‘Say So’, and a song which repeated the lyric ‘I hate you like I love you’ these tensions burst when, following the lead of the original Romeo and Juliet, the two groups completely intermingled with some fantastic sparkly all-out shiny partner work topped off with pom poms. Yes, it was that awesome.
Along this same vein of unbridled thrill was the musical theatre dance segment. Indeed, Simone Charice, with assistance from Bryan Ang Zheng Yao, brought an explosion of Broadway into the theatre with ‘Beware!: The Musical.’ This piece exuded joy as the stage was filled with performers in frilled dresses and collared shirts jumping like the boys from Newsies.
The dazzlingly divergence of these examples indicates the variety of delights provided by this show. Perhaps with more steadfast commitment to continuity the ability to show off such range would be hacked. This would detract from the central message emanating from Flare’s annual production – a celebration of their vast community built throughout a year of moving and creating together. From my count, around 70 performers spun across the vast stage of the union, which is 1) emblematic of the company’s vast base of members and contributors and 2) begs the question of how they fit that many people in the dressing rooms.
This last question is key given the number of sensational costumes each performer was dressed in. Indeed, if 25 years of producing shows has instructed Flare with anything, it is the skill to put on an eye-catching show. Darcy Hersbach and Kai Losey’s lighting is impossible not to mention on this point, as Core was one of the best lit shows I’ve seen this year. Hersbach’s use of the white cyclorama at the back of the stage especially allowed for some truly stunning visuals that highlighted the impressive shapes made by the dancers. All and all, regardless of thematic concepts, the design and sharpness of the choreography made for a show which was an excitement of the senses.
Flare’s Core was an emphatic success as an exaltation of the group’s collective dedication to dance, as any annual showcase should be. But more than that, it was a powerful gesture towards where the group may continue to progress conceptually and creativity. All the while, this endeavour continued to embrace its history and love of community, as it drew in and packed out audience of cheering, adoring fans – of which The Dialog, and I, will certainly be, if we continue to get the invite.
Flare Dance Ensemble’s Core played at the Union Theatre 9 – 10 October 2026.
KIERA EDELSTEIN is a First Year Bachelor of Arts student who loves all things reading, writing and storytelling. She doesn’t know what her major is yet but has decided in the meantime to take part in as many parts of the student-theatre that she can.
CHARLOTTE FRASER (she/her) is a writer, performer and editor based in Melbourne. She holds a BA in English and Theatre Studies and is currently completing her Masters degree at the University of Melbourne. Charlotte is also the 2026 Dialog Editor.
The Dialog is supported by Union House Theatre
