Dance Review: Dance Theater Voodoo Queen

Dance Theater "Voodoo Queen" cast a spell on me this past Sunday evening  at the Ailey Citigroup Theater, NYC.  I found myself transported to New Orleans, almost two centuries ago, to experience the legendary tale of the Voodoo Queen through dance, music, and storytelling.

Inspired by the novel "Voodoo Dreams" by Jewell Parker Rhodes, this production is a modern story ballet infused with various dance styles and a narrating character who is entangled in the drama of lust and magic.  The music- sometimes recorded, sometimes played live-carries the tale along, while enhanced coloring in the stage lighting elicits various moods.

I was transfixed from the very start when a sexy, jazzy female voice performing chants with groaning and other vocals over a background of swamp sounds fills an empty, pitch-black stage.  This is a very effective opening because it creates an atmosphere of mystery that perpetuates throughout the performance.  However, once I read the credits of the performers, the mystery disappeared because these diverse dancers have professional training from The Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance, the Ailey School,  prestigious dance colleges and experience with well-known dance companies.  Some professional capoeira artists are also part of the production, their skill and expertise in the martial arts technique very apparent in a fight scene within the first act. 

Joi Lynn was mesmerizing in the role of Grandmere, her organic movements fluidly combining elements of ballet, modern, and African dance.  A friend accompanying me to the performance expressed her fondess for this artist's expressive grace. 

At times the dancers and the accompanying drummer seem to encourage the audience to join in the action of the ritualistic proceedings happening on stage.  The talented drummer, who was born in Haiti and studied first hand ritual voodoo drumming, continues to play for voodoo rituals here in NYC as he hopes to offset negative stereotypes about voodoo.

The founder and producer, Katja Pfeifer, chose a captivating tale of love, lust, desire, betrayal and revenge to entice the audience. The choreography is very sensual not only in the way the male and female duets are filled with temptation and positions of lust, but also in the way it clearly expresses to the audience the spirituality inherent in the story.  At times the movements and beautiful imagery created by the dancers elicit a desire to purr.

Simple, contemporary costuming allows for the focus never to diverge from the drama,and allows the audience to see this old story in the modern day. This dance/drama merges various dance forms with capoeira and voodoo rituals seamlessly. The blending of various artistic forms (including a speaking/acting role), the live musician onstage and the diverse cast are all elements that are definitive of the melting pot that is the cultural center of  New Orleans.  The dancers do an amazing job of morphing into the Voodoo spirits as they writhe across the stage and tell us this old spiritual tale.  The corps of dancers forms the spine of this story, and they truly succeed in being not only story tellers, but also inspiring, beautiful dancers.

iDANZ Critix Corner
Official Dance Review by  Lea McGowan
Performance: Voodoo Queen Productions
Venue:  Ailey Citigroup Theater, New York City
Date:  January 18, 2009 @ 6pm
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Dance Review: Miami City Ballet, A Balanchine Love affair

A gutsy appearance by Miami City Ballet to be in the New York City Center performing Balanchine repertory.  The company is second to New York City Ballet in the amount of Balanchine repertory performed by any company in the world.  This was a momentous occasion for Edward Villella, who is known for being Balanchine's Prodigal Son.  He certainly lives up to that role now, by his preservation of the Balanchine masterpieces.  In part of the program Edward Villella admits that he wanted to wait till Miami City Ballet was strong enough that they wouldn't embarrass themselves before coming to perform in New York. 

This certainly was an exciting performance series for Villella, as he himself had performed in New York City Center early in his ballet dancing career with Balanchine's company.  Certainly his choice of Rubies in the program was significant- as he had been the solo male dancer whom Balanchine choreographed the ballet upon.    Villella looked pleased with his company's performance, cheerily conversing with patrons during intermissions, and graciously bowing onstage at the end of the performance.

Ah yes, the performance.  It was AMAZING, of course.  The 54 member strong Miami City Ballet has grown tremendously in its less than 25 years of existence.  The performance included three segments of Balanchine ballets:  "Square Dance," then the "Rubies" portion of the ballet "Jewels," and finally, "Symphony in C".  "Square Dance" is a great opener- inviting, lively and fun. The dancers' energy pumped up the audience, who joined in the joy of the dance.  Originally, Square Dance was produced differently- Balanchine actually featured a real square dance caller who coordinated his speedy speech with the fastidious footwork of the dancers.  Unfortunately for current audiences, the caller has been omitted.  Thus Square Dance has evolved to be less about the inspiration from its origins of southern social dance and seemingly more square in the patterns of choreography.  A particular sequence of pirouettes from fifth position feeding into embroites and a releve coupe balance repeated looked fun and challenging.  The difficulty in the work made one want to exclaim (especially the dancers of our world), "GET IT!" The company exhibited exquisite technique, yet in Square Dance there were several arabesques that were not square- out of line with open hips, not classical, but classically Balanchine.  All in all, the essence of Square Dance being a social dance remained true, as the free spirited dancing was enticing. 

Next in the program was "Rubies," excerpted from  Balanchine's "Jewels" ballet.  Most stunning was the opening image, with a semicircle of dancers in fourth position en pointe, delicately touching fingertips as to create a long strand of jewels.  The audience immediately applauded, recognizing the beauty-and any dancers watching appreciated the difficulty of holding such a position without wobbling.  In the ballet a female is promenaded by four male dancers, who all surround her, holding her ankles and wrists as she shifts positions.  The care in which each male addressed her was reminiscent of a craftsman jeweler refining a ruby, cutting his precious stone.  The carving of jewels is a wonderful metaphor for the honing of skill required of a ballet dancer that was so clearly depicted in Balanchine's choreography.  Another almost funny promenade caught one's attention as the male partner squatted in a second position grande plie, supporting an off-balance ballerina in penche arabesque.  Balanchine always pushed his dancers to extremes challenging them technically and artistically.  This ballet is no different, as dancers bring humanity to something so abstract as jewels.  The Miami City ballet dancers were stunning onstage with brilliant technique and shining flirtatious artistry.  Balanchine's imaginative choreography featured eye-catching moves that one rarely sees in ballet:  dancers with high parallel passes, striking out to second position on the heels of flexed feet with arms flaring to high "v".  Exuberant corps de ballet work in Rubies featured dancers switching deep lounges with the front leg forced over on point, numerous high battements, and effervescent if not sexy step touches on point.  Not so polished was a segment of dancing that made one wonder if their lines were supposed to be straight.  One audience member commented that the ballet contained lots of moments in which the dancers seemed to say, hey, "look at my balances!" Certainly by the finishing pose the audience was left stunned, blinded by the beauty beheld onstage.

The final ballet presented was "Symphony in C".  Balanchine had originally created this ballet as "Le Palaise de Cristal" for Paris Opera Ballet, then later revised it for New York City Ballet.  The white tutus against the cerulean blue backdrop reflected this history- a gorgeous picture as if indeed from a palace of crystal.  The male dancers were handsomely attired in solid black, together with the ballerinas in white it was as if sheet music had evolved coming to life in dancing form.  The patterns of the dancers, whose circuitous port de bras decorated the systematic linear formations, depicted the musical score, and definitely scored in impressing the audience.  Jete lifts landing in fourth position on point were accompanied by series of changing footwork into soutenus, a complicated interweaving of legs.  Pleasure is felt watching the repetitive movements, as if order is restored to the universe. The dancers' port de bras seemed to sing tones of the wind instruments while changing of fifth positions on pointe echoed the plucking of strings.  The poster picture of the ballerina in penche, her nose touching her knee as she grasps onto her kneeling partners' hands was flaunted in this last ballet, eliciting applause and awes from the audience.

The lines were fantastic, with fierce execution of steps; yet, the neoclassical Balanchine technique can be painful for other classical dancers to watch, i.e., the turned in legs in a battement devant, heels that don't touch the floor in plie, and arms whacked behind the plane of the body.  Dancers must have rock solid torsos to even allow their bodies to execute the Balanchine style.  However, if that sort of thing doesn't bother you, the sheer pleasure of experiencing the passion of Miami City Ballet will take you away from cold and dismal New York to a bright tropical paradise of dance.

iDANZ Critix Corner
Official iDANZ Review by Lea McGowan
Performance:  Miami City Ballet, Program B
Venue:  City Center, New York City
Date:  Saturday, January 24, 2009
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Photos by Joe Gato

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Dance Review: Elisa Monte and Her Dancers Create Stellar Work

 

Born in 1981, Elisa Monte Dance has a history of thought provoking work executed by techically and emotionally outstanding dancers, a reputation that is not left at the door on this evening's showcase of four works, one of which is a world premiere.

Slope of Enlightenment is an introduction that not only emphasizes the Elisa Monte dancers' athletically elegant stage presence, but also Elisa's dedication to loyalty and persistence. First off, this piece is dedicated to Fabrice Lamego, a former, loyal Elisa Monte dancer. Elisa's choreography explores human persistence and what it takes to survive in a really tough situation. One male dancer clearly struggles with unexpected obstacles as he faces away from the group after colliding with them in a dramatic confrontation. He dances with internal pain written on every move, but bounces back very quickly to be a stronger person.

The "obstacles" are fiercely represented by the corps. All of the females are in long, drab gray dresses, and, at one point, surround the anguished man as they spin and writhe in canon. This circular climax clearly displays the feeling of being suffocated and surrounded, and the only way out is to simply keep moving. 

The way that Elisa makes interesting chaos turn into a clear pattern is genius. This signature "chaos into pattern" is done really well in the circle around the anguished man. The dancers quickly twist, turn and fall to the ground at different times. At first, you don't know who to watch on stage because there is so much happening in different places, but then, after looking at it for a few seconds, you see a subtle pattern. After about sixteen counts of eight of interesting chaos, everyone dramatically ends in the same position on the floor.  Slope of Enlightenment is a beautiful manifestation of Elisa Monte's signature "chaos into pattern", which is set on dancers at their peak of emotional and physical agility.

World Premiering this evening is Arrow's Path, a love quintet.  All of the movement in this piece shouts physical love and the ups and downs that come along with it. The choice of creating this dance for five dancers is an interesting one. There is always an odd man/woman out. This makes it very similar to a love triangle dance except there are two more dancers to contribute to the trading of partners and interchanging duets of love. 

Love makes you go around and around in circles until your head is spinning. Appropriately,  Elisa uses a lot of circular motion in each of the duets.  The first duet begins with the male and female dancer, back to back, shene turning around each other while never losing physical contact whether it be a head to a small of the back or an elbow to a ribcage. While they spin back to back, both heads are turned slightly toward each other as if making eye contact is the main goal of performing "connected shene turns", but this goal is never accomplished.

Highlighted here is Elisa's collaborative force with the dancers. Every duet that is presented looks as if it starts with contact improvisation between the two dancers.   Elisa Monte is a master of contact improvisation and has spread her teachings around the globe, which would make one believe that there is a portion of contact improv in all of her art.  Seemingly, upon the initial framework by the dancers, Elisa's choreography colors in the vast space in between the lines that makes a duet take form.  Now, this is speculation because there is nothing in the program that states there is choreography by any of the dancers (except in the New York premiere of Zydeco, Zaré, (which closes the evening), but the duets are so extremely organic and form fitting in the way that the dancers partner and touch that Ellisa would have to know each dancer inside and out to actually specifically choreograph each of those moves (especially exactly what part of the head touches which millimeter of the shoulder on which count in the music to make it all come together seamlessly). If there is not any collaboration with the dancers on this one, then it is a huge compliment to Elisa in the way that she is all knowing of her dancers' bodies, styles and breaths. If there is collaboration, it is still a huge compliment to Elisa because of her brilliant shading that makes the dance come alive with the synchronization of the love making movements and the brilliant vocabulary that makes up the dance that grows from these connections of the flesh.

One of the most romantic and breathtaking sequences is when all five dancers are on stage making a grand display of Elisa's "chaos into pattern".  All of the dancers chaotically solo on different counts and with different moves, but the pattern comes into place through the hugs that at least one couple ends in at various spots on the stage every few seconds.  It is a beautiful painting of random technical execution spread across the stage interrupted by moments of stillness as each couple that embraces holds the hug for at least an eight count.  Some couples go on to slow dance after basking in a much needed still embrace following all of the chaos. Arrow's Path romantically resolves chaos into stillness and tension into release.

Audentity is set to a piece of music by the same name by Klause Schulz that is the driving force of this dance.  With the synthesizer sound and the fast beats, the dancers synthesize with a lot of unison choreography and matching all white unitards. A single bright white diagonal line is created with lighting that goes from downstage right to upstage left.  The dancers dance on this line as if it is a tight rope, never veering from it at certain points doing small movements with the feet such as step touch in plea while the sharp Horton arms isolate quickly to the 80's beat. 

At one point, the dancers move from downstage to upstage on the diagonal line with the same simple, staccato traveling step.  Once the most upstage dancer reaches the upstage end of the diagonal line, he/she releases from this staccato traveling step and softly, yet expressively undulates the body with arms in second into a grand plea followed by an attitude leap off stage as another dancer enters onto the downstage part of the diagonal with the same staccato traveling step.  This pattern repeats over and over again in increments of eight counts, creating the illusion that there are fifty dancers in the company instead of just the seven dancers who are racing backstage left to right in order to make their next entrance. 

A female soloist dances with infinite amounts of energy and technique at various points throughout the piece. The solo is unique in that it combines elements of African style dance and long extensions with the reoccurring fast, rhythmic isolations. This girl has a fierce ponché that she sustains in contrast to the whacking of some of the African and staccato themed movement making up the rest of the piece.

This synthesized music created in 1983 and the sharp, angular movement of the dancers is reminiscent of the digital revolution of the early 80's.  The fierce athleticism of the dancers is on showcase in this piece as displayed in the sharp movement created for every quick beat in the music.  Technically perfecting these fast movements coupled with running backstage to make an entrance on time is something to be admired.  Elisa Monte and her dancers have created a dynamic masterpiece with Audentity.

Zydeco, Zaré is in it's New York premiere this season at the Joyce Theatre. I couldn't stop smiling throughout the entirety of this piece mainly because the dancers are truly having so much fun on stage, and this is infectious. There is a live band playing just off of downstage right in the house, whose music is a huge contributing factor to the fun and playful atmosphere. The musicians play Zydeco music, African American Creole folk music from Louisiana in the 1800's. This piece is, in part, supported by the Louisiana Arts Council and focuses deeply on Louisiana's history through movement and images including multimedia projected on an upstage screen that creates a backdrop chock full of Creole history.

The women wear flowery skirts that they use in the choreography to express playfulness as they toss the material side to side as they dance. These skirts also prove to be flirtacious as they hike them up and roll their hips for the men.  The men wear jeans (these jeans must have a high percentage of spandex in them because, otherwise, all of them would have split their pants while kicking their faces and side leaping for the heavens). 

This piece gives the men in the company a chance to shine in their masculinity and machismo pride. In a trio, the men proudly swagger to the center of the stage, where they give each other high fives and pull up their belt buckles.  A chuckle out loud moment is when the boys start to balletically walk across the stage after being so manly. At this point, I expect a more masculine follow-up to the manly introduction, but aside from the "ballet walks", the male-ography makes the men out to be as strapping as can be.  In fact,  the dancing in the trio looks as if they are cowboys in an Oklahoma ballet. 

We take a visit to the marshes of Louisiana when tall grass is projected on the backdrop as three women walk slowly across the stage, hunched over as if predators. Sporadically, one of the women ferociously flails her hands so close to her face that she has to back her head cautiously away.  All of the women do the "hand spaz" at some point during their long hunting trip from one side of the stage to the other as they face their inner demons one at a time.  Aside from the seriousness of the womens' hunt and the relationship problems, this piece is a fun celebration of the Creole culture through Zydeco music and dancing with joy as the girls be girls and boys be boys.

iDANZ Critix Corner
Official Dance Review by Adrienne Jean Fisher
Performance: Elisa Monte Dance
Venue:  Joyce Theatre, New York
Date:  January 23, 2009
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And the winner is....Fresh Tracks Dance Theater Workshop January 23, 2009

The Fresh Tracks series at Dance Theater Workshop is the most competitive emerging choreographer showcase in New York. The prize, in addition to showing your work, is 50 hours of rehearsal space, along with workshops in grant writing etc. But most importantly, it says that you may be the next big thing. Some Fresh Tracks artists go on to make a wealth of work, while others fade into nonexistence. Which of these six choreographers will we see again? We shall see.

Adriane Lee starts off the program with three dancers onstage, two frozen, and one doing backwards arm circles. Her bright orange FedEx jumper creates a brushing sound each time her arms pass by her side, and under the light, her movement leaves a visual trail. This is the most fascinating part of the piece. Later, the music kicks in, they shed their layers, and go into movement sequences of deep lunges, front attitudes, and more arm circles. The lights fade while one dancer is still shedding his outer layer, suggesting continuation outside of view. Maybe that's where the piece finishes. What is visible looks incompl___.

Next is a duet created by Devynn Emory. In a sharp square down-light, a body stands facing upstage. She slowly rotates to reveal that she is supporting another (Emory), but not for long, she drops her to the floor. Again, Emory mounts her partner, slow rotation, drop. They slide along the floor on their backs, shifting direction in right angles. Then it evolves from there. The visual clarity of the piece is satisfying. It is precise but not mechanical. Their subtle communication between each other and the audience is very much human.

As I hear heavy footsteps in the dark at the beginning of the next piece I think, oh no, another modern dance piece of heavy loping around on stage. But I'm in for a surprise as I enter the absurd world of Jen Rosenblit and the BottomHeavies. They empty stuff out of their pockets, sport futuristic black costumes, scatter bling on the floor to hip hop music, and lope offstage stark naked. I'm not sure where she's going with this, but I'll go with her.

Sahar Javedani is an Iranian-American choreographer relating, in her solo, the dilemma of being caught between cultures. Red light slowly fades up on articulate upper body movements. She shifts from drama to comedy, delivering a slide show which she entitles, "I am just like you". She flips through photographs of Middle Eastern women, making clever comic comparisons to American pop culture, for example, "I can stand under my umbrella-ella-ella-ella, just like you."

Stacy Grossfield's piece juxtaposes everyday gestures with strange movements. Her dancers shift between communicative gestures, figure poses, and awkward walks. It is her intention to connect the "world on stage to the one outside; commenting that dance is everywhere if you take notice", not really a novel idea, but still applicable.

Of the Fresh Tracks faces, Hilary Clark's is the least "fresh", being already known in the dance world. I know her through her performances in Tere O'Connor's work, and even though Clark has made much of her own, I still associate her with Tere's work. As a viewer, it's hard to ignore associations, which makes me wonder if it's really possible to create your own voice while being a vessel for someone else's voice. That being said, Hilary Clark's piece deviates enough from Tere O'Connor's work that I'm able to separate it. The hilarious duet begins with Hilary singing, "I'm having a pity party, and I'm the only one at my party". She continues in movement to make satirical comments on dance, like moving across the diagonal as one would in class. Underneath the humor, there's a tone of desperation. The comedic climax arrives as both she and Larissa have over-egaggerated physical freak-outs on the floor to sappy romantic music. The lights fade, but it's not over. Once the applause dissipates, we hear Hilary still trapped in a cycle of ongoing frantic movement. Larissa chimes in with "help her!", and there's a final episode before it's really over. I thought it was great.

In the past, Fresh Tracks has helped launch the careers of such well-known choreographers as Bill T. Jones and Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker, but it's not necessarily the insta-ticket to success. It's the artists who continue to make their work, whom we'll see again. It's the people who make it (the work that is), who make it.

iDANZ Critix Corner
Official Dance Review by Julie Fotheringham
Performance: Dance Theater Workshop Fresh Tracks Series
Venue: Dance Theater Workshop
Date: January 23, 2009
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Miami City Ballet… Better than a Holiday!

Happy almost-end of January dancers! Ok, so maybe I just miss the holidays right now and that was a pretty sad attempt at creating one . . . But let’s just say that if I HAD to create a holiday in the dance world, it would be January 23, the night I went and saw Miami City Ballet perform in its NYC debut! This week, the Miami City Ballet (and entourage) made the trip from Florida to NYC with guns loaded, ready to astonish! Truly, this was some of the most amazing dancing I have seen this year. . . don’t let the fact that it’s only January fool you! These technicians DEFINE discipline. The marks of these ballet masters? Perfect lines, impeccable control, layered choreography, and a unique combination of flawless unison and stark individuality. Absolutely stunning.

New York City Center in Midtown Manhattan was buzzing with  activity before the 8 o’clock curtain this past Friday night! A sold out house welcomed Edward Villella’s company to the stage. Villella, founder and CEO of the MCB, danced for Balanchine’s New York City Ballet (NYCB) in his younger years, and never lost his love for the NYCB, where he was a principal. His ballet brought three pieces to the forefront on Friday night, and I have no problem going back and thinking about them all over again!

PIECE ONE: SYMPHONY IN THREE MOVEMENTS, CHOREO: Balanchine MUSIC: Stravinksy

A curtain rises and a diagonal line of corps de ballet dancers (in ponytails, pointe shoes and white belted leotards ) is elegantly posed in unison and looking FABULOUS! Such a clean look, and interesting to see ponytails! No tutus. The corps wore white, a smaller corps wore black, and the principals stood out in pink, orange, and magenta. I loved the costuming. It basically screamed, “Look at us and our perfect, perfect technique and to-die-for bodies!” It was interesting to note Balanchine’s early choreography boasting a modern edge with parallel work…quick walking and what I like to call “Kick your butt” runs! The piece was beautifully layered and introduced their killer principals! Kudos Mr. Balanchine.

PIECE TWO: LA VALSE, CHOREO: Balanchine MUSIC: Ravel

Another classic work by Balanchine, La Valse sets the scene of a mysterious, dark, ballroom. I felt like I was a bat looking in on a haunted masquerade ball! (No masks though…) This piece had AMAZINGLY beautiful costumes – completely opposite the first piece, these were exquisitely ornate, detailed, and extravagant! Women wore grey bodices with rhinestone embroidery, rhinestone earrings, decorative netted headpieces, topped off (or should I say bottomed off) with flowing romantic tutus in muted, smoky rainbow colors.

The stage was filled with smoke and crazy cross-lighting. I can’t say I’m a lighting expert but the effects were awesome! Eventually this piece leads to a dark male figure “death” , taking the life of the girl in white . . . he puts black gloves on her and a black sheath which was a very interesting acting moment. In the end, this “lady in white” is raised up in the center as the corps swirls around her in a speedy whirlwind! The curtain falls while the action is still happening!

PIECE THREE: IN THE UPPER ROOM, CHOREO: Twyla Tharp! Music: Philip Glass

No words. Unbelievable. Choreography to watch again and again. See this. Ms. Tharp., I applaud you. I know my applause may not have much weight, but I was just entranced by this. Tharp shows herself to be a true pioneer in the integration of Jazz, Contemporary, Modern, and Ballet with this display of sheer genius! The pulsating music was to die for…(can you tell I loved this?)

The costumes were very unique, yet simple. Navy blue and white stripes against red body suits and red pointe shoes/socks. Over and over, new movements and patterns were introduced and then weaved together like a quilt . . . every strand different but fitting perfectly. The men showed strength and agility- the women showed that they could get down and dirty and still be a ballerina! Lots of jazz influence in this! By the finale, you are jumping out of your seat. Dancers being thrown upside down and all around, pointe dancers flying at the speed of light across the stage in unison, and unique head isolations keep you wanting more.

Tharp’s piece was an amazing way to end the night. If the MCB really did have a holiday, that was the apple pie with whip cream that you treat yourself to right before you take a nap and dream of sugarplums! MCB, can’t wait to have you back for more!

Peace, love, and dance,

SHEENA D

IDANZ Critix Corner

Official Dance Review by Sheena DiMateo
Performance: Miami City Ballet, Program A
Venue: City Center, New York, NY
Date: Friday, January 23, 2009
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Photos by Joe Gato

Sex, Revenge, and Rock & Roll, a night for the family!

Remember Me, a one act rock-ballet shook the house at the Lower Manhattan Joyce Theatre on Wednesday night.   A collaboration between David Parsons and Parsons Dance with the East Village Opera Company resulted in a glam-rock infused illustration of the AnnzMarie Milazzo poem, Traveled Hearts.

The poem was developed into a story told by the talented members of the Parsons company and David Parsons' choreography.  Put to music using classic operatic standards from the likes of Bizet and Puccini, the score was rearranged into an 80s rock/90s pop style that kept the audience tapping their toes, and some of the older audience members plugging their ears, (because of the volume I assume). The dancers of the company brought the story to life with such fervor and passion, you could feel it mezzanine!

Sarah Braverman, who danced the lead role, performed with grace and soul.  Barely ever leaving the stage throughout the performance, Braverman appears to have the stamina of a small ox.  She moved effortlessly through the performance with style along with the other dancers, Miguel Quinoenes and Zac Hammer, who play the two other points in this three-sided, love triangle.   Both male dancers, who play characters simultaneously interested in the sultry Braverman onstage, gave athletic and virtuous performances worthy of an ESPY award.

The production and lighting designers, Jason Thompson and Howell Binkley, created a surreal landscape for this tragic romance with the help of projectors, and their brilliant imaginations.  Using the stage as a canvas they paint unearthly video backdrops projected onto curtains behind the dancers.  These projected video backdrops took the production to another level.  With images of falling water or a rising moon over a sea of billowing clouds and shimmering stars, the company moved through space in a surreal dreamlike environment.  Although some of the videos projected seemed extremely literal and somewhat contrived, like the falling cartoon flower images,l the lighting and projection were a spectacle worth seeing the show for.

Overall this performance was one of the most original works I've seen all year, well the only work I've seen all year, . . . but still, well worth every penny.  I'd recommend this for almost anyone,  especially older kids, or even the whole family.  The kids might enjoy seeing dance put to music that doesn't sound foreign to them.  And while mom and dad might love the theatre, the glam-rock stylized score is sure to bring them back to that time in high school going to see Whitesnake at the Foxwoods arena.

iDANZ Critix Corner
Author:  Antoine Lee
Dance Review:  David Parsons Dance
Venue:  Joyce Theater, New York City
Performance:  Wednesday, January 14, 2009
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David Parsons at the Joyce, NYC

Ok girls, you want a job in NYC, you better get your butts to class!

Tues night I had some cute seats at the Joyce Theatre in Chelsea to see The Parsons Dance Company.  Those dancers are no joke! They were giving me extension, fierce feet, technique, and seamless partnering skills. They go beyond the expectations of your typical modern dancer with flawless double tours and grounded ponches. Each dancer has their own unique strength and style that they bring to Mr. David Parson's work.

The stage blasted wide open with a crazy fun piece called Swing Shift, choreographed back in 2003.  A full company piece that filled the stage with beautiful movement, colors, motion and momentum. It was a sweet way to start off the night and introduce the ferociousness of the Parson dancers.  It was a piece about form, which played around with space and formation with fun, flirty duets, excellently executed solos, and swirling group sections that swept through the stage.  It was a total joy to watch and I totally got swept away with them.

The following duet, Ebben, was a painful excerpt from Parson’s new evening length EVOC collaboration (East Village Opera Company).  It was a short little number. Kevin Ferguson simply stood on center facing upstage while his partner Abby Silva, performed her balancing act downstage of him.  Watching her go from one, one legged position to the next, made the entire audience tense hoping she wouldn’t fall until finally her partner turned around, and did a couple of steps himself before the blackout.  It was empty and the narrative was forced.  The choreography was needlessly difficult and It made me glad I was there the night I was, because I couldn’t have sat through an entire evening of that.

Unfortunately the next piece, My Sweet Lord, started off basically the same way, a man center stage, doing nothing while a duet between two females danced around him. This time it was to Indian inspired music (think Bollywood meets the Hari Krishna... on a local college music station). After several minutes, the piece was mysteriously joined with George Harrison’s My Sweet Lord (the song) by the rest of the company, wearing basically the same thing they wore in Swing Shift. I was left totally confused. The first section had noting in common with the second and if he was going for meaningful eastern inspired modern dance, he shouldn’t have.

Intermission was great I went outside for a second, checked my messages, talked to some friends and looked through the press packet they gave me.

Then Act 2 happened.  It didn’t get any better.  Fill the Woods With Light started out promising with a solo light on a solo dancer, that turned into this clever little opening with only flash lights. I was back in it, yes i love this company.... only to be disappointed when it didn’t go anywhere.  Twenty more minutes of random bits of dancing with random dancers following them around lighting them in random ways, some moments were brilliant, “like OMG throwing the flashlights only on the backdrop leaving everyone in silhouette, wow that was really cool”, but it didn’t make up for how bored I got waiting for it just to be over.

But all was not lost!  Parson’s most famous piece, and for good reason, Caught, which he choreographed back in ’82, saved my night! If you are not already familiar with it, let me set the scene for you. Picture it, a gorgeous soloist and a strobe light.  Miguel Quinones starts center stage (shirtless... and let me tell you, he wasn’t born, he was carved out of granite... i said CARVED!!!)   So where was I?  Oh yeah, Soloist center stage, then after he began dancing the strobe starts and continues to catch him mid air, in a menage, on diagonals, direct lines coming right at you.... it was so cool!!!!  and not to mention Mr. Quinones is pure magic, besides the trick of the strobe, his lines are amazing, his fire on stage is unforgettable and he was enthralling to watch!

The closing piece of the evening was Shining Star, something the piece is not. The performers are full out and what saved me from leaving.  I hate disco, and see no reason to set modern dance to it. Cheesy, corny, expected, boring and even when they have a moment of hand flipping choreo referencing Beyonce’s Single Ladies, I was still itching to shut off the music and ask the dancers to do something else.  I loved watching them, but I didn’t love anything else.

The Shining Stars of the company however are the fearless Abby Silva, the magical Miquel Quinones, the gorgeous and seamless Julie Blume, the quicksilver Patty Foster, the unforgettable Kevin Ferguson, and Billy Smith, Zac Hammer, John Corsa, Eric Bourne, Sarah Braverman, and Natalie Lomonte who are all masters of their craft, beautiful technicians, and I look forward to seeing what else they can bring to deeper, more inspiring work.

iDANZ Critix Corner
Author:  Dante Pulieo
Dance Review:  Parsons Dance, David Parsons
Venue:  Joyce Theater
Performance:  Tuesday, January 13, 2009
www.iDANZOnline.com

 

SUGAR SALON: A Lovely Cup of Tea

Review- SUGAR SALON: a lovely cup of tea Posted On 01/13/2009 15:13:15 by iDANZReviews

Hey dancers,

Sheena here with another look into the NYC dance scene. This weekend it was SUGAR SALON, a very interesting program that I had never even heard of until this past Friday! I loved their marketing theme which shows pictures of a teacup and spoon surrounded by dancers body parts! It just goes to show you how many opportunities and venues are out there for dancers- you just have to be willing to seek them out!

Sugar Salon was designed to create a nurturing home for WOMEN choreographers.  Four female choreographers are given the opportunity (earned by a rigorous audition process) to choreograph,rehearse, and commission new works through the mentorship of the Williamsburg Art NeXus and the dance department of Barnard College. This January, the four choreographers were Anna Sperber, Heather Olson, Jane Comfort, and Deganit Shemy.

Their pieces were all based in contemporary and modern although they were all completely different. I'm feeling like bullet points right now... so here goes :

Piece 1 :  my imagination lives in the dark, but charlotte's imagination
           lives in the forest (Anna Sperber)


This piece involved 2 girls, and the whole dance was done in the dark. The stage of the BAC has one wall of complete windows, which they left open during the piece. You could see more of the NYC skyline than you could the dancers. However, when you did get a peek at them...they were utilizing lanterns and floodlights to create unique lighting images on the walls and with their bodies. For several minutes straight we watched a dancer discover what her foot looks like in a floodlight, and then her hair...her face....her elbow. Very artistic, very visionary, but honestly a little too long for my tastes. The girls were very committed and did create some amazing shapes/shadows.

Piece 2: in the river (Heather Olson)

Three dancers, running amok onstage....that's really what I felt about this. Some great technique, interesting contemporary lines, but very very open for interpretation. The music went from classical to the sound of a car engine starting over and over.... a LOT of repetition going on, and a lot of humor and quirkiness. I felt like if we really were "in the river", these were three waterbugs living their lives and discovering each other and the world around them. I can't even describe the movement, for every adjective could apply: flowy, choppy, wierd, funny, gooey, neurotic...) I felt the audience didn't know whether to laugh or cock their heads to the side in confusion at some points. But definitely an unusual cup of tea!

Piece 3: An American Rendition (Jane Comfort)

This was absolutely amazing. Four girls, pulling off a scene from a missing persons office. A wife runs frantically into the missing persons office, seeking her husband.... where three aggressive officers give her the third-degree. The whole dance was dialogue. (What was he wearing? When did you last see him? Was he wearing a watch? money clip? coat? etc.) The girls'voices were echoing, while the wife screamed out in angst as she was tossed about in a whirlwind of activity. Great choreography and amazing execution of dance/acting/speaking/even singing! I've never seen anything like it. The timing was perfectly orchestrated and I actually wished the piece was longer!

Piece 4: Arena

After intermission, I didn't know what to expect but they definitely went out with a bang here.  5 girls dressed in basketball shorts, sports bras, knee/elbow pads.... basically going at it in all senses of the word! It was like a wrestling match.... or was it? It was eerily sexual but also so unbelievably physical..you didn't know if they were going to kick each other's butts or roll around in fits of passion...very passionate...very physical... partnering was CRAZY. Those girls must have abs of STEEL for the partnering they were pulling off. After seeing this, I'm a huge fan of Deganit ShemyDeganit Shemyand her company. The physicality and molding together of bodies was truly amazing.


So there it is. I bet you feel like you were there, right? I'm definitely glad I got to see this... something different, something new, and somewhere at the SUGAR SALON you were bound to find your cup of tea.

P.S. I got a glimpse of Mr. Baryshnikov in the flesh while I was there!

Sheena
Official iDANZ Blogger/Dance Reviewer

iDANZ Critix Corner
Dance Review by Sheena Di Mateo
Performance:  WAX- Sugar Salon
Venue:  Baryshnikov Arts Center, New York City
Performance Date:  Friday, January 9, 2009 
www.iDANZOnline.com

DD Dorvillier/ human future dance corp, Choreography, a Prologue for the Apocalypse of Understanding, Get Ready!

It's scary to think that perception of a thing may be more of what makes a thing than the thing itself, if you get what I'm saying. The first time I saw DD Dorvillier's work, almost five years ago at PS 122, I hated it. Sat. night I saw her work again, and my opinion has completely changed. The style of her work hasn't changed so much. It's my perception of her work that has changed. My ability to view dance, and art in general, has evolved, and my taste has shifted to connect with work that is less technically dance-y and more a composition of elements to create a visceral experience, stimulate thought, or communicate ideas.

DD Dorvillier's new work, Choreography, a Prologue for the Apocalypse of Understanding, Get Ready!, tackles the ongoing dilemma, "I don't understand dance". She uses written language then moves away from it, moving away from "understanding". The piece begins with words projected on the wall. The text reads, "no language", "only grunts"... "moans"... "murmurs". Then... bright white light, white space, two bodies lying on the floor, and two microphones with black, snake-like cables. Stillness. Dorvillier begins. Speaking into the mic, she gives a literal description of everything she's doing as she does it, which is then translated into Spanish by the other body on stage, Joaquim Pujol. It is an exaggeration of being literal, a comment on the expectation to explain things rather than just letting the things be what they are. An underlying, eerie sound score by Zeena Parkins gives a sinister tone to this semi-comedic sequence.

In the second section, she returns with three other female dancers in white tennis shoes and spandex unitards, each one of the four colors in a printing press, cyan, magenta, yellow and black. They open their mouths as they press the notes on a keyboard, keeping them open for the duration of the sound as if the sound were coming from them. This exact correspondence between movement and sound, as well as light, is used throughout the piece. At one point, the four dancers line up shoulder to shoulder and skitter across the downstage making periodic vocal sounds. I saw this as a printer and the dancers as color cartridges releasing sound according to the pattern rather than ink. One might ask, if Dorvillier's intention is to move away from language and literal interpretations, then why is her work full of language and references? I see comedic irony in her title. Actually, choreography is a prologue to a deeper understanding.

There is a consistency across all four dancers in their performance. It's a style of dancing which I've been resistant to accept. It's trained dancers dancing in a non-dancer sort of way. It feels half-assed, like they're marking it, but this sort of natural presence, opposed to projected presence, is the intention. Their neutral faces never brake, even during silly dance moments with booty shakes and gerbil burrows. It isn't until the final image, when dancer Elizabeth Ward is step ball-changing side to side, that she brakes into a smile. Blackout. The end. I'll admit that this time, Dorvillier's work worked for me. I learned from this dramatic shift in opinion that my opinion is firm only for the time being, and that developing the skill of seeing is a continual process.

iDANZ Critix Corner
Dance Review by Julie Fotheringham
Performance: DD Dorvillier/ human future dance corp, Choreography, a Prologue for the Apocalypse of Understanding, Get Ready!
Venue:  Dance Theater Workshop
Date:  January 17, 2009
www.iDANZOnline.com

The Carnival New York City 2008, Choreographer's Ball

 

Energy was through the roof atThe Carnival Choreographers Ball November 2008 held at the very fashionable Hiro night club in New York City.  iDANZ TV a long with iDANZ founder Candice Rox and the all around fashionista commentators, The BK BOYEEZ, took interviews with great dance personalities and industry professionals such as the Amount Boyz, choreographer to the stars, Brice Vick, Bam Bam of Nexx Level Elite!, Cicely of Nu Stylz, hip hop icon, Spexx Boogie, and Jason Herbert of Ballet Noir.  Produced by Carey Ysais and Paulette Azzizian, and hosted by Ysias, Bijan Williams, and Shernita, the New York edition of Carnival was definitely deep with style and talent! 

Stand outs on the show were Antonio Boss and his slick moves, Harlem's own Urban Dance Alliance giving us the street moves with genuine urban flair and fashion, Robert Taylor Jr. (and his back-up dancers), probably one of the hardest working performers at Carnival to sing r&b/hip hop and dance at the same time full-out with no compromise, and a crew imported all the way from Canada named Unkut Productions who just RIPPED IT!  Oh, oh, oh . . . and, of course, Miss Sheryl Murakami (featuring T(h)RASH), never lets the children down, as she is, as always, one of the biggest attractions at Carnival each year. 

Miss Sheryl Murakami has the power, the control, and the creativity of a real craftsman when it comes to staging and creating concepts for commercial dance.  I call it "clever with clarity."  The movement, no matter what it is, either simple or complex, is always pure clarity; the audience can readily see where moves begin and where they end.  No moves are thrown away, and if they are, it is deliberate.  Also, Miss Murakami always has a theme to show in a clever way with an element of surprise and suspense which that alone keeps audiences begging for more. 

What we at iDANZ like most is, that from THAT clever clarity instilled comes, that Murakami confidence that pours into the dancers and out on the stage.  The performers are always on point and just ready to "GET IT" (as we dancers say) like "WHAT," just turning the audiences into Silly putty in Sheryl's hands.  And to make things even grander as if that weren't enough, Sheryl Murakami let's loose the element of suspense, open's the surprise, and you just have to give it up and start screaming, WORK B ----! 

Miss Murakami and her choreography gets the iDANZ Fierce Award of the night.

Featured Dance Performances:  Razberry Jam, Sheryl Murakami Featuring T(h)RASH, Torey Nelson, Hollywood, George & La Jon Featruring BAD NEWZZ, Jamie J, Braham Logan Cane, SKATE, Shyrelle Kalilikane, Steven Williams, Antonio Boss, Robert Taylor Jr., Jaclyn Dunne, Sugar & Spice NYC, UNKUT Productions, Urban Dance Alliance, and STATIC NOYZE.  

Featured links:

www.thechoreographerscarnival.com

http://www.sherylmurakami.com/

iDANZ Critix Corner
Dance Review by Candice Rox
Performance:  The Carnival Choreographer's Ball
Venue:  Hiro, New York City
Date:  Tuesday, November 11, 2009

Tango and Contemporary Ballet Remixed!

Tango and Contemporary Ballet Remixed!

The New Generation Dance Company, under the artistic direction of Argentinean choreographer, Dardo Galleto, presented a lovely concert at Symphony Space in New York City, November 7 - 8, 2008, that fused the passion of Argentinean Tango with the lines of Contemporary Ballet.  

The show, called VOLVER AL SUR, meaning "to return to the South," is a wonderful journey about one's returning to his or her roots.  Mr. Galleto used a lot of tango music as well as some Argentinean pop music like "Todo Me Recuerda A Ti" by Sandra Mihanovich, and Ariel Ramirez's "Misa Criolloa" with Mercedes Sosa's voice.  The fierce, champion tango couples Natalia Hills and Gabriel Misse as well as Cesar Coelho and Guillermina Quiroga danced as guest artists throughout the production. 

IDANZ visited with two of the young company members after the show, Aengus Ortiz and Ivanova Aquilar.  We talked about their views on performing Galleto's style of tango fusion as well as living the life as a dancer in New York City.  We were happy to find that they just adore working with Galleto and his New Generation Dance Company and learning how to use Tango as a cool medium to work within the Contemporary Ballet aesthetic.

For Aengus, who just joined the company only two months before the show, Tango is very new to him; thus, learning a new genre of dance and mixing it with vocabulary more familiar to him has proved quite exciting.  He's thankful for his versatility because that definitely helps him get through the material not only in Dardo's company but in any group that he has previously danced.

For Ivanova, who has been with the company for two years, she joined after meeting Dardo in an Argentinean Tango class in which she was soon asked to join right away as a last minute replacement.  Ivanova is a very versatile and sought out dancer.  Originally from Mexico City, she trained on full scholarship at the The Joffrey Ballet School and toured the USA with The Joffrey Ensemble.  This busy dancer, in addition to NGDC, is a member of several dance companies simultaneously including Christopher Caines, C. Eule Dance, D'zul Dance, and Janusphere Dance.

"Yes, you want to earn a living, but you should also work for a better philosophy for yourself, you want to exercise your artistic voice." 
-Aengus Ortiz, Dancer with New Generation Dance Company

Aengus joined the company after meeting choreographer, Dardo Galleto, in master teacher Willie Burmann's advanced ballet class.  Mr. Galleto was actually taking Burmann's class at STEPS on Broadway when he noticed Aengus side by side with him in class.  With only two months before the show opened at Symphony Space in New York City, Aengus learned an entire full-length, Tango Modern Ballet.  Aengus said that it was great doing Dardo's work because "both ends" Tango and Modern Ballet "support each other" and by fusing the genres together, "each style elevates the other."

Dancers like Aengus and Ivanova know what it is like to live and find work as a dancer in New York.  It is definitely a full-time hustle; however, Aengus and Ivanova feel fortunate to have the opportunity to be challenged by Dardo and his work.  As Aengus says, "yes, you want to earn a living, buy you should also work for a better philosophy for yourself, you want to exercise your artistic voice," and that is exactly the environment that Dardo and his New Generation Dance Company provides.

Because Aengus seemed so profound and down to earth, we asked if he had any advice for young dancers coming to New York and considering a career in dance.  He said, “It's all about the network which is a continuous effort.  You must be nice to EVERYBODY.  You never know . . ."

New Generation Dance Company presents, Dardo Galleto’s VOLVER AL SUR at Symphony Space, New York City, November 7 -8, 2008.  

iDANZ NewsWire

Parsons Dance Company -Remember Me, A Collaboration with the East Village Company

As soon as the first dancer comes out on stage accompanied by not only rocking music but also stellar multimedia effects, I am locked in with my seatbelt prepared for the ride that I think I am about to be taken on at full speed. But, I'm wrong.

The first section of this hour and fifteen minute ballet without intermission is full of personality, energy and interesting fluctuations of dynamics. Then, the show gradually becomes more and more about the singers, one male and one female who spend the show falling in love and intensely harmonizing with one another.  I want to see so much more from the dancers, but just as this thought submerges, another effect is put on the singers' voices, and they get turned up again! The singers are beautiful, but I came to see a dance show, not a cruise ship show with back-up dancers. Don't get me wrong, the dancers do dance and some of the choreography is stunningly imaginative (especially the group movement patterns when the whole company is on stage and the seemingly effortless spiral falls to the floor that are a company staple), but there just isn't enough.

At one point, Julie Blume, the technically and emotionally striking soloist in this ballet, is in a "gilded cage" (as it is explained on the projector screen upstage) that is created with lighting. She writhes in the cage and, sometimes, she is on the verge of a much needed expressive, finished movement, but it doesn't happen. "Unfinished movement and expressions" seems to be the theme for this evening for the dancers. Unfortunately, it is the singers who get the chance to finish every movement and expression, which is disappointing because the dancers seem so capable and talented.

Kudos to lighting designer Howell Binkley. The multimedia during the gilded cage section is astonishing in that the focus alternates between a white silhouette of Julie in a pose on the upstage screen and a spotlit Julie lying in her gilded cage in the same position. Immediately following her sentence in the prison, the company comes gradually toward her from offstage left, their downstage hands touching elbows creating a locomotive train feel as the one connected arm rows forwards, backwards and up and around. On the upstage screen, there is a video replicating their onstage movements with an added mirror effect creating an upside down version of the locomotive corresponding with the right-side up view, which creates not only an interesting kaleidoscope effect emphasizing the beauty of the choreography but also a disappearing effect every time they bend down close to the middle horizontal dividing line on the screen. On the lighting note, there is another interesting point in the show when only the most downstage section of the stage is lit from the wings, so the dancers appear out of thin air like phantoms as they emerge from the shadows every time they move from upstage to down stage.  This particular lighting is a metaphor for the entire show, the dancers exist in the shadows of the singers.

The only reason I am being harsh on the choice to focus on the singers so much is because of the enormous talent that I see a sprinkling of within the company that is being stifled in this program. It is nice to understate in a classy way in order to come to a pinnacle at some point. The dancers never get to break through, a point which I was anticipating all night. I have to admit that I was a Parsons Dance virgin prior to tonight's program. Having no familiarity with this company whatsoever could contribute to my "wanting to see so much more" attitude.

Maybe if I had seen program B, I would want just a sprinkling of understatement to go along with "going all out" for over an hour. I am very curious to see what is brought to the Parsons table next time. This was a tease.

iDANZ Critix Corner
Dance Review by  Adrienne Jean Fisher
Performance:  Parsons Dance Company -Remember Me, A Collaboration with the East Village Company
Venue:  Joyce Theater, New York City
Performance:  Thursday, January 15, 2009
www.iDANZOnline.com

Dance Review: Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet

I was very excited to see Cedar Lake perform.  I had heard so much about them and read up on them from their website and dance magazine reviews.  I was expecting top notch pointe work and partnering skills, dancers with excellent bodies, and accessible choreography.  I have wanted to dance for Cedar Lake for a couple years now.  Many seniors from my university dance program flew to NYC to audition for them last year.  I love small contemporary ballet companies.  But, by no means is their outreach small.

Memory/Measure by Luca Veggetti:
The mood of this piece was slightly creepy and contemplative.  The piece begins in darkness with a build-up of loud electronic vibrations until "BOOM," lights up, and on the stage are four dancers wearing black on a stark-white marley floor (which is becoming a popular trend these days).  Ana-Maria Lucaciu was on pointe, often freezing on releve in grand plie in second which took amazing core control and balance.  Jason Kittelberger's port de bra is fascinating as if he had unlimited joints in his arms with controlled musculature. The connections between each dancer and two pairs of dancers were well done so that no visuals were lost.  I enjoyed the slow motion walking along the edge of the white space.

Ten Duets on a Theme of Rescue by Crystal Pite:
Calming music of bells and beats. Five dancers - Jubal Battisti, Jon Bond, Soojin Choi, Nickemil Concepcion, and Ebony Williams.   A circle of lights surrounding a dance space with thick air painted with smoke effect.  . . . The way the dancers slide around but always end in their desired position is beautiful.  The connections between the dancers felt real. The dancers possess fluidity, bravery, openness, physical communication, trust with their partners, stamina, grace, and excellent musical and spatial precision. One duet was so quick and complicated in it's full body position-based choreography that it was just brilliant.  The dancers performed perfectly together.  I rarely see dancers of this caliber.

Frame of View by Didy Veldman:
This was by far my favorite piece for the evening.  Elements of humor, irony, and short stories intermingled between the group of nine dancers.  The set was used to the fullest extent.  There were surprises on so many levels, such as "how can you use a door?" and "can you partner someone through a door?"  Watching the dancers act differently when they are around each other compared to when they are alone; watching how they choose to hide or express their feelings for one another.

One of my favorite moments was the solo in which Ebony Williams glides onstage sitting on a chair and dragging a table with her. Throughout her solo she moves the furniture around her.  One specific moment within this was when she was pushing the table forward and dragging the chair behind her with her ankle. I don't know why, but that shocked me.  As dancers and choreographers we have all encountered the issue of "the chair dance" and the overuse of CHAIR choreography to the point where almost nothing could possibly be new.   I thought it was genius the way the furniture was somehow made to slide around smoothly on a marley surface allowing far more movement possibilities than the average chair dance.

Another one of my favorite moments was when Ana-Maria Lucaciu is partnered by "the door," an effect created by another male dancer pressing himself through the stretchy fabric at the center of the door that the audience would not have expected to be fabric.  You can see the features of his face and body as he partners her through the door, even putting his arm through the mail slot and lifting her.  I was not the only one who loved this concept.  The audience around me expressed their ooh's and aah's as the door became personified and the female dancer gets pulled over the door to the other side.

There was also a duet that focused around slowing down a physical conflict between a Nickemil Concepcion and Harumi Terayama.  It is said that comedy is simply tragedy slowed down, and, this duet is an excellent example.  The two "slowed" dancers not only move their bodies in a slow motion, they also show their expressions with step by step detail in a remarkable display of comic ability. I can only imagine how much they made each other laugh in rehearsals. This duet would not have been complete without the role of "the outsider" played by Jon Bond who watches the fighting couple and every once in a while interjects to sprinkle some yellow confetti between the dancers.

I loved the way the three doors on the set were used.  I remember being instantly impressed when Soojin Choi entered through the door on stage right and at this one moment she leans into the space while her right ankle holds onto the door frame, then she quickly pulls herself through again and shows off her long lines and flexibility.  She was beautiful in the partnering sequences, appearing to just fly over the floor when the other men partnered her as a group.

Overall:
The music throughout the concert was a blend of colors that I'm sure would invite any sort of audience member to enjoy. The sets made use of interesting lighting, smoke effects, and the set for "Frame of View" was amazing. The audience has the rare privilege of watching a skilled technical crew strike the set of the last dance and quickly prepare the stage for the next one, all while listening to music. This by itself is almost a dance. The three pieces for the evening fit together well and every seat at the Cedar Lake theater is a great seat. I would encourage any kind of dancer, improv artist, actor, choreographer, and theater buff to see this show. I also have full confidence that even if you are not an artist you would be moved by this, or any performance by Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet whether it's through laughter or tears, contemplation or relaxation, or simply to give a standing ovation at the end of the show.

Cedar Lake does an excellent job of encouraging participation from their audience members. If you go to their website you can watch the ongoing media coverage of "Project 52 - 1 year. 52 minutes. Every Monday."   I enjoyed watching the quirky solo by Oscar Ramos involving layers of clothing on a table, hearing what Jubal Battisti had to say about the rehearsal s and improvisation, and watching Ana-Maria Lucaciu prepare for the pointe dancer role in Memory/ Measure.  There are also videos on the main website showing the rehearsal process of Frame of View and featuring some of my favorite parts like Soojin Choi rehearsing with her doorframe and three different dancers practicing the slow-motion fighting couple and outsider part.  That's another thing that I love about the program for Cedar Lake is that you get to see different dancers perform the same parts in different casts that they trade off on each night. You know what that means - go see them again and again until you have seen all of the amazing Cedar Lake dancers perform! You'll never get bored!  Even though everyone in the company is amazing it's still nice to see the differences they have as movers that change the piece to custom-fit each cast.  As a whole I think the company is a good mix of different looks and movers from a diverse background - just read their amazing bios!  The programs also give information about when the next pre-performance discussion will be and you can call 212-244-1150 to hear the choreographers talk about the works in their own words.

It's an odd thought to have, but when the performance was over (and leaving me wanting more) I imagined what it would be like to bump into any one of these dancers on the street or the subway. You can just tell that these dancers aren't just dancers when they hit the stage, they are artists 24/7, constantly taking care of their bodies, going over new choreography in their heads on the way home and before they fall asleep, and learning from each other through the rehearsal process.  For anyone who wants to be a better performer, come watch and learn from the best!

Photography by Paul B. Goode

iDANZ Critix Corner
Official Dance Review by Jessica Shahinian
Performance: Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet
Venue:  Cedar Lake Theatre, New York, NY
Date:  January 16, 2009
www.iDANZOnline.com

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Dance Review: DANCE GOTHAM/APAP

Part of the APAP performances, Dance Gotham is a program that offers a wonderful array of works by contemporary dance groups from Canada and the United States.

 

[ZOGMA]

Collectif de Folklore Urbain Rapaille

This Canadian dance troupe rocks! Musicians perform alongside the dancers on stage and make people rock along in their seats, tapping their feet to the high energy beat of this outstanding performance. 

This company effectively takes traditional dances and modernizes them without losing any essence of the culture. The style of dance seems to be the European equivalent of American hip hop in the way it combines rich rhythms with traditional European social dances. Even though this choreography requires intricate footwork with complicated rhythms, the dancers remain relaxed and playful as they sway and shuffle about.

The dancers wear stiff, upscale business attire (white collared shirts, black jackets and slacks) yet the movement quality is easy-going, organic and flowing.  The dancers create a multi-layered conversation with the audience in which sometimes, they playfully tease and show off and other times, display a matter-of-fact just taking care of business cool.  The debate at the end is: Who had more fun, the audience or the dancers?

 

Arena Dances

Run With Me

Turquoise and black is the opening visual. Blue represents female and black represents male. Beautiful and bright, the grandness of the women's dresses does not disguise the powerful dancing of the females. The classic black slacks worn by the males are simple and becoming. In this work, relationship complications between genders are explored. Seeing this group of dancers move in unison is like hearing a group of people sing with perfect pitch.  It is very powerful to see a company of dancers alternate between soloing with unique individuality and dancing as a group with cleanliness and perfect harmony. Together, they successfully communicate their universal message of the importance of preserving a cultural identity.

 

BalletX

Broke Apart

This company embodies "fierce"  in every sense of the word.  This contemporary ballet utilizes interesting set pieces such as barres in t position over a cross to balance and support it on the floor. The story line is spurred along by the barres shifting into a new position, which leads to a new scene. Parallel barres are made to resemble a childhood playground, in which a female duet plays in as they manipulate, push and pull the barres.

The company is stunning in its capacity for athletic movement, which is on the verge of being acrobatic. Choreographically, I am fascinated by the pedestrian-like runs that are incorporated seamlessly into some of the movement that skims and sweeps across the floor.  Noteworthy technical elements include chaine turns performed on the heels of flexed pointe shoes and clean triple attitude turns that impressively repeat throughout the piece.  Thank you BalletX for bringing back classical ballet lines with a modern twist!

The ballet ends with a spinning man cradling a woman. Traveling like a hurricane, they continue to spin until they spiral out of control and bang into the barres.  This leaves the dancer's characters in disarray, but leaves the audience's hearts in a mood to say "hooray" for BalletX.

 

EzDanza

Sada

This company has appeal worldwide, which the founder's Israeli origins may have helped proliferate. This dance depicts etymology and the origin of words.  At one point, the dancers literally pick on another dancer in the group.  The choreography is explicitly delicious with plenty of catchy moments all over the stage to entertain a wandering eye.

 

Montreal Danse

Fragil

Projections of light not only create all of the scenery for this piece, but also display the internal, biological workings of human impulses.  This work is filled with interesting uses of verbal expressions intertwined with dance.  For example, a female dancer says "hold" before falling from a stool and then safely being caught by the surrounding dancers.  Each time this action repeats, it takes on a new meaning.  Is the woman requesting assistance when she firmly says "hold"?  Is this a desperate attempt at regaining human contact? 

In another section,  two women are preparing to sit upon a stool.  They are told, "you can sit wherever you want".  Interestingly, the two women repeatedly sit on each other and start to slide down toward the stool when they miss it and land seated on the floor.  This piece provides an intense look at how, upon closer examination, simple, everyday actions may lead to profound discoveries on deep, interpersonal subtext.

 

CityDance Ensemble

Scorched

These confident women wear booty shorts and slinky red tops that drape across their chests and expose the dancers' graceful backs.

The beginning movements portray teenage girl angst.  Groups of dancers resemble high school cliquishness as they reject the anguished, solo dancer by not inviting her in.  The choreography is filled with skipping body language.

The dancers execute a certain passe strut, a move that becomes literal when it seems to say, "Oh, that is so passe! Get with the program!".

Notably impressive is the partnering. Equality between the sexes is represented as the women take on the man's role as they partner the men.  At other times, the

women partner each other, as do the men. The chemistry of the company is in part due to the interesting diversity of races and genders.

 

Koresh Dance Company

Theater of Public Secrets

Once again,  the use of a very simple stage element, one bench, becomes the foundation for an eloquent depiction of humanity through dance.

The bench becomes representative of various themes as it continues to be utilized as the main set piece.  The male dancer sitting upon it at the start of the piece seems to be trapped in a jail cell or perhaps trapped within the torment of his own mind. Could he be waiting for a loved one in a hospital waiting room?  Or perhaps he is the embodiment of a pianists' fingers dancing upon the keys. 

Various percussive sounds in the music such as hollow cell block clanging and various styles of piano playing aid in the different interpretations. As the dance story unfolds, we see a woman and her relationship to a man.  Beautiful imagery is intertwined throughout.  Concluding the dance,  the pair embrace one another in an intimate portrait of companionship.

In essence, this dance conveys the working class struggle that so many people can relate to today.

 

Helios Dance Theater

The Lotus Eaters

This is a facinating work inspired by the classic novel "The Odyssey" by Homer. The originality and funky expressivity of  this piece make it a wonderful choice to conclude the evening's performance.

 

 

iDANZ Critix Corner
Official Dance Review by Lea McGowan
Performance: DANCE GOTHAM/APAP
Venue: Symphony Space, New York, NY
Date:  January 11, 2009
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Gregory Dolbashian
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