An exploration of our past and the consequence of both naivety and societal expectations that cage people in, “Ignorance is Bliss“ is a contemporary dance piece that follows the lives of a quintessential family in the 50’s.

An introduction in the style of many television shows of that era, such as; “I Dream of Jeanie” or “Bewitched” is projected onto the cyclorama introducing each of the characters. The family is perfect, the upstanding breadwinning husband, the doting homemaking wife and of course their children appear onstage all fulfilling choreography that you would expect of their characters, be it sweeping, watching television or getting ready for the day.

A remarkable aspect of this performance is the total character immersion that each of the dancers portrayed and as the story unfolded there was no question regarding what they were experiencing given their seemingly effortless characterisation. This, coupled with the talent of the dancers, as well as emotive and comedic timing makes the performance captivating.

The performers were remarkable at building tension as a fight between the young boy and girl breaks out over dress ups. The Betty Spaghetti character is caught up and drops a pasta dish, the atmosphere at once becomes heavy and the audience is struck by how much each of these characters carry under the weight of societal expectation.

The stage is perfect for a dance performance, the choreographer and director have made great use of the levels, sight lines and stage props. Each of the ensemble is a skilled dancer in their own right and the audience is swept up by the way they communicate the story and with each other in perfect timing.

The television box is an ever-present feature of the performance and iconic audio clips ranging from 50s to present day are played in a momentary “time warp” from Betty Boop to the dreaded C-word, that’s right Coronavirus, we are taken through the ages and then snapped back to the characters realities. The lighting and audio is polished, congruent and effective.

At times silhouetted, we are able to feel a separation that is fuelled by the facade of perfection. The crack in the veneer never quite breaks any of the characters apart but the sheer loneliness that each of them feel is made evident by the adept cast of dancers.

Following the insight offered into each of their stories they are gently brought back together as one, ultimately telling the story of unity, connection and family.