“Manifesto is an exuberant hour of dance that left us whooping with joy....breathtaking invention that will stay with me for a long time.”
Vicki Renner, Arts Hub
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
“My one line review of Manifesto, 9 drummers, 9 dancers and (a rare) 5 stars from me. It's ecstatic and bombastic, and a giddy blend of synchronised sharpness and freewheeling rebellion.”
Thuy On, Arts Hub
★★★★★
“Pure Genius.”
Deborah Jones, The Australian
“Manifesto is another triumph for Lake, a perfectly realised work that celebrates not just the relationship between music and dance, but also the joy of being alive.”
Dance Australia
“Manifesto is unforgettable. A stunning demonstration of the visceral relationship between rhythm and dance.
...It grinds to a booming halt, all the better to propel the audience to its feet for a whooping, screaming ovation.”
The Advertiser
“In the hands of Lake and her partner (in life and arts) Robin Fox, this ostensibly simple recipe is whipped up to an exhilarating almost-perfection: foot-stomping, heart-skipping sound; choreography that ranges from jaw-dropping precision and control to sequences of wild, sweaty abandon.
The proof was in the pudding — in the spontaneous applause and cheers through the show, and the standing ovation at its end.”
Dee Jefferson, ABC
“Thrilling and frenetic. Electrifying.”
Fourth Wall Media
★★★★★
“Manifesto is an exuberant hour of dance that left us whooping with joy....breathtaking invention that will stay with me for a long time.”
Arts Hub
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
“From the very first beat, the work explodes in seismic waves of motion and rhythm, pulling the audience closer into its sweaty grip.”
Rhys Ryan, Limelight
★★★★1⁄2
“So exhilarating, it borders on the liturgical. What is manifested here is euphoric and memorable. Another hit. Another palpable hit.”
Tim Byrne, Australian Pride Network
“This most extravagant excursion into effervescence.”
The Age ★★★★
“Stephanie Lake's tour-de-force dance work is a full-blooded celebration of rhythm.”
The Saturday Paper
“A powerful and stunning work by one of Australia’s most talented choreographers. The driving, spirited rhythms create a majestic and elemental soundscape for the superbly talented dancers.”
Australian Stage
“The work ends at an absolute fever pitch. When I saw it, the audience leapt to their feet, compelled to rise and shout. Anything can happen in this tightly crafted, remarkably innovative and thrilling work. And it does.”
The Conversation
“Manifesto is a stunning showcase of human creativity and endeavour. It is exhilarating. It is perfection. Bravo, bravo, bravo.”
Alex First, 3AW
“Manifesto is another triumph for Lake, a perfectly realised work that celebrates not just the relationship between music and dance, but also the joy of being alive. In these distressing times, we all need a dose of Manifesto’s optimism.”
Dance Australia
“A true festival-worthy offering and ending in an ecstatic frenzy and deserved standing ovation.”
Theatre Travels
“An hour of unsullied bliss.”
HiFi Way
“Manifesto is unforgettable. A stunning demonstration of the visceral relationship between rhythm and dance.”
“...it grinds to a booming halt, all the better to propel the audience to its feet for a whooping, screaming ovation.”
The Advertiser
“The nine dancers are outstanding...at once juicy and commanding. In particular, their rendition of the work’s final phrases, which require a paradoxical combination of absolute precision and total abandon, is compelling. Then there are the musicians who bring to life Fox’s innovative, driving score. The range of sound they elicit from their nine drum kits feels miraculous.”
See Saw Magazine
“Took the breath away.”
The Monthly
“In the hands of Lake and her partner (in life and arts) Robin Fox, this ostensibly simple recipe is whipped up to an exhilarating almost-perfection: foot-stomping, heart-skipping sound; choreography that ranges from jaw-dropping precision and control to sequences of wild, sweaty abandon. The proof was in the pudding — in the spontaneous applause and cheers through the show, and the standing ovation at its end.”
Dee Jefferson, ABC