The seven deadly sins are a list of moral and spiritual rules identified by St. They give understanding to the way people should live their lives free of sin in order to please God. These sins include lust, envy, sloth, pride, wrath, gluttony and avarice. Avarice also known as greed or covetousness is the desire for material objects and ignoring the spiritual aspects to get said objects (http://www.deadlysins.com/sins/). Leigh Warren choreographed a unique piece with the theme of Avarice for the ABC special called "The Seven Deadly Sins". Warren explored the themes in Avarice and took the dance out of the traditional stage setting and put it into a casino. This piece is very visually interesting in terms of setting and costuming, the glamour of the casino enhanced by the sophisticated make-up and costuming. .
Using clever non-movement components of the piece added to the message of Avarice and helped portray the sin to the audience successfully. Leigh Warren has used interesting visual effects throughout the piece. With insightful use of camera shots and lighting playing a huge part in the piece. The piece is set in a grand casino, with bright lights and warm colours constantly reflecting the glittering woman. However he has chosen to have another space to show the darker side of gambling, this space features what looks to be the inside of an empty church, reinforcing the religious message the piece makes. The room is lit with dark blue lights, almost turning the dancers into silhouettes. The music used throughout the piece is mostly instrumental with a voice over of preaching, lost within the loud casino games. .
The first section begins with a close up of a woman's face with dollar signs drawn onto her eyelids and a cigarette in her mouth. She opens her eyes and the camera zooms out and reveals a a male and another female dancer standing next to him. They transfer the cigarette the female's mouth to the male's mouth and it is lit using burning money.