Reviewer rating:

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

James Welsby
Melbourne Aquarium, until May 12

TIDEFOLK Fictions (performed by choreographer James Welsby, Sarah Aiken, Chafia Brooks and Jessica Wong) touches on beauty in monstrosity, channelling wondrous creatures of the deep.

The most successful aspect of this work is also its biggest detractor - the space. The cavernous Fish Bowl at Melbourne Aquarium offers an immersive experience in which sharks and stingrays soar behind glass panes. It was always going to be a struggle to create a live performance to match the majestic dances of underwater creatures, but lighting design by Govin Ruben fails to provide any contrast against the blue surround.

Tidefolk Fictions occasionally manages to balance the overwhelming environment. The dancers flop wildly across the floor like fish out of water, or prance and shimmy in imitation of the ''John Travolta disco fish''.

Levity suits this cast far more than solemnity and moments of release provide a welcome change to a monotonous dynamic.

Welsby is an emerging choreographer and struggles to integrate humour with choreographic skills. However, there is an elegance to many of the movement sequences.

Despite a surfeit of inspiration in the Aquarium, movement ideas run short. More editing and better staging would improve the result.