Dance Review: New Dance Alliance Mix Festival, Variety Keeps the Heart Fonder

This past Thursday, Joyce SoHo theater hosted the New Dance Alliance (NDA) Mix Festival. It was definitely a diverse blend of artists and the small, intimate space really let the choreography shine through. The program consisted of six pieces, all different choreographers, some of which just hopped on the subway while other’s flew for hours to meet up for an evening of expression and artistic fulfillment.

As the lights dimmed for the first piece, I was expecting to hear a shuffle of feet walking onto the stage but was pleasantly surprised when the stage lights didn’t come on; in their place, a short film began, part three of a measure of silence. It is silent movie with random footage of New York and its people. Many of the shots were taken through windows, as if the man behind the lens was spying or trying to catch a glimpse of everyday life. It was a combination of both modern day Manhattan and some older Victorian style photos. The artist’s name is Janusz Jawkorski, he has a true eye and imagination to capture what we all see daily but forces us to really see it, rather than just notice it. The audience sat in complete silence, totally consumed by the images that played before them.

The first thing you’ll notice about Cid Pearlman’s Fire Sale is the interesting use of set design. The piece revolves around four characters, two male, two female, all different ages but the fascinating thing is that the entire work takes place within and around an 8’ x 8’ checkerboard and two chairs. The artists were exceptional not only in their movement and range, using their bodies to communicate a variety of human emotions, but also with the task of incorporating the chairs into the piece. Throughout the ballet I felt as if I was having one of those dreams that make absolutely no sense but all the sense in the world at the same time. Pearlman, who is based in Santa Cruz, has a unique talent for organic transitions. Whether it be two dancers exchanging places on stage or a quick costume switch, she makes them smooth, logical yet surprising. Fire Sale really leaves you wondering what will come next and when it happens you’re delighted but also amazed at how each movement and scene flow one into the next from beginning to end.


Second in the program was an excerpt from H to Oh. Pele Bauch, who choreographed and performed the solo, developed a very interesting and moving work. The story begins with a blue lit backdrop and the sound of summer, water being poured and crickets singing. She begins to move, letting us into her world, where on the outside it’s a sweet, summer evening but inside she’s clearing distraught and agitated. The stage is bare except for the Bauch, a watering can and a small pool filled with water. The strength of the expert is its ability to engulf the audience in the atmosphere, you completely forget you’re sitting in a theater. Her movements range from calm to electric and suddenly she runs across stage and jumps into the pool. The dancer continues to move in the water as the piece ends and there is really quite a beauty to her awkward movement, a real sense of battle between calm and chaos that draws you in.

After a couple of very strong pieces two dancers run onto to the stage pulling at each other, flinging about the space. This is the beginning of Man and Mouse by the Montreal group that, fittingly, call themselves The Choreographers. Two out of the four creators perform the piece that is appropriately named seeing as she, Audree Juteau, stands approximately five feet tall and her partner, Peter Trosztmer, clearly over six. The couple reminded me of acrobatic magnets, they send each other flying across stage, into jaw dropping lifts and shapes on the floor but they seem to be unable to function without each other. A natural chemistry works between the dancers, completely drawn to each other, unable to break apart. As soon as they separate a lull falls over the stage. The humorous and enjoyable piece really resembles a Beauty and the Beast type story. The Choreographers used a real creative mix of music, everything from traditional classical to opera to more modern sounds. The dancers even sing and mumble throughout the piece. It winds down to a bit of a somber finale, but just when you think it’s going to end on a sad note, they catch you smiling with a very endearing end pose that makes you want to hug the person sitting next to you.


Philadelphia performer/choreographer, Shavon Norris was next on the program. Her piece entitled Said begins with a spotlight on a beautiful African American woman wearing a simple canary yellow dress and speaking. She recites a poem as her body moves with the words, breaking and reviving itself. She does all this with her eyes closed and both her movements and speech are filled with a very strong, powerful overtone. As we move through Norris’s choreography she opens her eyes and drifts about the stage, a great mix of modern dance, contemporary movement and color of cultural elements. Now all the strength from her moment in the spotlight has consumed the stage. After a full range of emotions the dance ends where it began, center stage, as it fades to black.

The Frying Pan’s Too Wide closes the evening at Joyce SoHo. The two witty choreographers are the Toronto, female duo Sarah Bild and Susanna Hood. They give “using your body as an instrument” a whole new and exciting meaning. Performing their own piece they use everything from the tips of their toes to the expressive ability of their eyebrows. The most interesting concept of this work is that there is no music or rather, the music comes from within the dancers. It’s a mix of advanced baby babbling and operatic song that fuels their movements. The entire piece has a wonderful air of comedy and is genuinely refreshing. As if dance, exploratory movement, and voice were not enough, the two jump on the square, red table in the middle of the stage and begin to speak. The words are real but the sentences don’t exactly make sense as the women talk, not in unison. “After all, it’s variety that keeps the heart fonder.” They say and I do believe that’s true, the piece offered a great deal of variety that definitely captured the audience’s heart.

New Dance Alliance strives to bring artists and their work to the public. They believe that visual art is an essential part of our world and actively work towards promoting what they stand for. NDA has successfully succeeded with this evening’s program offering its viewers six very different outlooks on the world, some lighthearted while others very deep. Perhaps, Bild and Hood’s piece presented the slogan for the night, that without variety our lives would be boring. Each of these ballets provided us with new and interesting ideas and the artists showed us that dance has grown beyond tendus and grande jetes; it’s a full body art where limitations don’t exist.

Top Left: Cid Pearlman, Photography by Steve DiBartolomeo
Mid Right: Pele Bauch, Photography by Steven Schreiber

iDANZ Critix Corner
Official Dance Review by Sofia Konstance Uralsky
Performance: New Dance Alliance Mix Festival
Choreographers: Cid Pearlman; Pele Bauch; The Choreographers; Shavon Norris; Sarah Bild and Susanna Hood.
Film: Janusz Jaworski
Venue: Joyce SoHo, New York.
Date: February 26, 2009
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Dance Review: This week at DNA, OB-ject - ob-JECT

As part of the Winter 2009 Season at Dance New Amsterdam (DNA), three very different female choreographers delivered performances which I haven’t stopped thinking about.  All three of them created choreography which is difficult to describe in dance terms.  This is not necessarily a bad thing because each of them made dances using different kinds of mediums in order to create a multi-sensory experience.

The best way to describe the dance style that was used for the performance is post-modern dance.  A very general term, post modern dance includes any dancing that has taken traditional modern dance and recreated it to fit a choreographers own style.  It can also refer to a specific technique called release technique.  Release technique can be difficult for a classically trained dancer to understand because it is contrary to ballet technique.  Instead of trying to appear as weightless as possible, almost as if you are flying, the goal of release technique is to feel weighted into the ground so that you can release your muscles and weight into the movement.

The first piece, Me and Not Me choreographed by Tami Stronach, was my favorite dance of the night.  The dancers movements were weighted to the ground and they each sustained a circular momentum throughout the entire piece which appeared to flow from one phrase to the next seamlessly.

Ms Stronach used various senses such as sound and smell in her work which I felt were really effective.  Bouquets of flowers around the stage and petals of flowers were scattered on the floor creating an illusion of a garden.  The two dancers, Tami Stronach and Lindsey Dietz Marchant were both dynamic performers and appeared to be the same woman, one of them being the woman’s public self while the other personified her private self.  The two dancers looked great together. Their lines were symmetrical which complimented each other’s movements.  Both dancers took off their shirts towards the beginning of the dance which did not appear at all as un-tasteful.  The reason for taking off their shirts added to the theme of the piece which was an examination of our private and public self.

A highlight of the piece was when one of the dancers stood behind the other and their arms were interlinked doing various tasks such as adjusting the first dancer’s shirt or picking up a flower.  The interlinking of arms made it difficult to see whose arms belonged to which dancer.  Ms. Stronach’s messages were powerful which included the difference between one’s public and private self, what we reveal to others about ourselves, and what remains hidden.  This piece also raised questions on how we define beauty.

Jimena Paz created the second piece called Empty Lot.  The dance began with the four dancers, Donna Costello, Elena Demyanenko, Meredith Fages and Jimena Paz wearing winter coats and hats and all of them wore the same shiny black boots. Ms. Paz broke her dance into four sections or acts as she refers to them in the program.  The dancers were all excellent actresses as well as dancers which created a very dramatic dance.  In addition to the performance feeling more like a play than a dance, Paz used images on an overhead projector and had all four of the dancers change costumes several times throughout the piece.

During the second act, the dancers wrapped themselves in a type of translucent wax paper in which they used to roll on the ground giving the appearance that they were dealing with internal struggles.  Throughout the piece, all four performers were searching for a girl named Sara.  They would occasionally shout out to the audience, “Where is Sara?” and then begin to look for her by opening different doors.  During two different times in the performance, two of the dancers would ask the audience if they wanted a shoe shine.  This was an interesting choice because it brought the audience into the drama unfolding on stage.

For me, the ending pose of Empty Lot was the most powerful moment of the entire piece.  The lighting created a spectacular shadow on the dancers as they all made their way towards the mirrors on stage right.  The dancers are all wrapped in the translucent wax material and they are looking at themselves in the mirror.  The piece ends with one of the dancers turning around and facing the others.  I felt that parts of this performance were moving and I appreciate Ms. Paz’s attempt to create a type of dance drama that was uniquely her own.

The last piece of the night, Things are Recall; Ohio is in the Midwest by Rachel Mckinstry and performed by Rachel Mckinstry and Kendra Portier, left me with a lot of unanswered questions.  The dancers wore matching glittery gold show girl dresses, and I am unclear why they chose these dresses for such a somber dance.  The piece appeared very personal and introspective to each dancer.  The dancers would take turns sitting in a chair and watching as the other dancer would perform.  Their movements included different types of lunges and sweeping arm movements. The music was a range of high energy dance hall music and sounds which took on a more solemn tone. The dancers both created their own individual personality for themselves, but I was left wishing that I had seen more of an interaction between the two.

The three pieces each had their own identity but there was a strong connection between them as well.  All attempted to portray the dancers' inner feelings and private life to the audience’s attention. How do you show someone’s memories and thoughts in a non-verbal way?  All three choreographers attempt this challenge, and I think they were successful.

iDANZ Critix Corner
Official Dance Review by Amanda Keller
Performance:  OB-ject – ob-JECT
Choreographer(s):  Tami Stronach, Jimena Paz/ XYZeta Projects, Rachel McKinstry/Launch Movement Experiment
Venue:  DNA -Dance New Amsterdam, New York City
Date:  Thursday February 26^th, 2009, 8PM
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Technorati Tags: Dance New Amsterdam,DNA,modern dance,ob-ject,Tami Stronach,amanda Keller,Rachel McKinstry,jimena Paz

Dance Review: New Dance Alliance 23rd Annual Performance Mix Festival" Crosses Bounds at the Joyce Soho on Wednesday, February 25

This was my first time seeing a performance at Joyce SoHo, which has a very different feel from The Joyce Theater in Chelsea. This smaller theater allowed for me to have a more intimate viewing of the dancers and films that were presented on stage. In fact, no seat was a bad seat, which could not be said for many theaters in New York City, including The Joyce in Chelsea.

I was not entirely sure what to expect for the evening since each show in the New Dance Alliance 23rd Annual Performance Mix Festival had different works from different companies each night for ten nights. A total of 30 companies from all over the globe presented their works. Even without much expectations, I was still thrown for a loop the moment the first film began to roll.

Janusz Jaworski's A Measure of Silence was just that. After rushing to the theater, listening to the screeching of the subways on their tracks and trying to locate the theater and my seat, this film was drastically quiet and simple. I almost wondered if the contrast to the daily life of a New Yorker was the intention behind this film. I appreciated the grainy film texture and the black and white color sans sound.

More or Less Content by Andrew Wass was another work that could be described well from its title. This dance, about the inevitability of our own demise, was about two people having just met in a crowded train station and suddenly faced with a life-changing decision to choose love over their careers. A horrific and provocative portrayal of disease that begged the question of what modern science could do to save or destroy the human race, this dance was sometimes even hilarious if not absurd. This dance was about...well the sound track to the dance goes on and on saying what this dance is about, or could be about. What is it about? You can create your own. This dance could have been about everything, since anything going on in Andrew Wass's mind during the choreography process could have subconsciously influenced his actions in rehearsals. Or perhaps I could be over thinking it, and, this dance was simply a dance. I thought the piece had an interesting concept, and the audience certainly enjoyed the work more and more as the dance went on.

Diana Quinones Rivera created the film White Oaks which was made possible by the Howard Gilman Foundation and filmed during a residency through The Field's Artward Bound program at White Oak. This colorful, crisp imagery, with no set plot pattern, included a man and a woman in short scenes shot on different locations around the White Oak facility. Each scene had a sense of stillness for each start, and then, the two people moved slightly in the space. This reminded me of postcards that you could step inside of and see a short scene (almost the way that pictures continue to move in the "Harry Potter" stories). My favorite moment was when the two people were in a bowling alley that had two lanes and green walls with tall square archways. The woman was on one side and the man was on the other; we witnessed the pins being set up in the horizon and a red bowling ball coming forward and slowly rolling back and forth on it's track, "causing" the two people to fall over as if they were pins themselves. This film, like the last one, also challenged my sense of patience, and I'm sure most people would have a hard time following this with the average attention span becoming shorter and shorter thanks to the media ==> bright colors, smiling people, wanting you to buy something that you don't even need. Sometimes when you watch a film that is not trying to sell you something, or blow something up or speed fast by, or is shot without some love-triangle drama, we instantly notice a difference. The lack of "shock value" can be the most shocking.

Knife inc. presents Artifact, (work-in-progress excerpt), was a witty commentary on present-day economy struggles in the business world. The piece features a woman playing the character of a boss in her office as she deals with the pressure of boredom in her own life and the expectations that others have on her. Writer and director Aya Ogawa turned every day movements such as standing in an elevator, walking on the street, or sitting in a chair at a desk job, into choreography and staging. I laughed out loud with the rest of the audience when the angry office workers, upset that they were losing their jobs because of the failed economy, bust out into Michael Jackson's "Thriller." I really enjoyed this piece, and my boyfriend who came with me loved it. Thank goodness I'm a DANCER. But, for those of you who love dance and have a friend in the business world, I suggest that you bring them to see this piece whenever it performs again; you'll have plenty to talk about afterwards.

Stolen (excerpt) by Yvonne Meier had one of the most curious beginnings to a piece that I had ever seen. The lights came up on Yvonne Meier and Antonietta who were hidden completely under large sheets of aluminum foil. After a few minutes of one blob of foil moving towards the other blob of foil that kept backing away -(with the audience finding it difficult to control their laughter), Ben Pryor came out dramatically with two long wooden polls and started playing with the tin foil and breaking it into pieces. Ben then had to perform odd movement tasks. One included being blindfolded and made to crawl on a long electrical cord on the floor, and the other involved being tied to the flat end of a little wooden table and trying to back bend until all the table legs were evenly on the ground on a small piece of carpet that Antonietta kept moving away from him to make it harder. He finally set his table down successfully, and while still being tied to it, Antonietta and Yvonne tied ropes to two opposing wooden legs. On the count of three, the two ladies pulled until both legs broke off in unison, and Ben came crashing down, thus ending the dance with a bang.

Elegant Heathens (excerpt) by Deborah Dunn was another piece that didn't take itself too seriously. My friend who worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company would have LOVED this dance that almost seemed like a spoof on the Shakespearean rehearsal process. Five dancers in costumes of the Shakespearean time period pranced around with hilarious facial expressions detailing their relationships and opinions of one another. There was an amazing moment when one of the dancers was rehearsing with her banana and another dancer was acting as her coach for the scene telling her to give all of her energy to the banana. The other dancers watched as the soloist stood under the spotlight holding the banana and doing subtle things with it that drove the dancers wild to the point of sexual obsession. The displeased "director" character was upset with the soloist, however, and screamed at her, "This is NOT how we treat a BANANA!" causing her to throw a physical fit. Ha ha ha, I loved that part so much. Really delightful!

All in all I felt the night was much more theatrical than anything else. I would call the dancing in the show performance art more than anything. While this show held a different aesthetic than high extensions and fierce pointe work, I do feel like this work is far more relatable to broader adult audiences of today. Moreover, the beauty of seeing a show at Joyce SoHo was that you could be literally sitting next to the directors and dancers in the show, and afterwards, possibly get a chance to have drinks and socialize with them right in the lobby telling them what you think of their work. I loved the social, community vibe. I'm probably the most shy person I know when it comes to greeting dancers after a show, but even I mustered up the courage to say congrats to Joan, the "business woman" soloist from the Knife Inc. piece, for her outstanding ability to look me straight in the eye during her performance.
Photography by David Hawe

iDANZ Critix Corner
Official Dance Review by Jessica Shahinian
Performance: New Dance Alliance Presents Performance Mix Festival
Choreographer(s): Lower Left Performance Collective, Aya Ogawa, SHUA Group, Yvonne Meier, Deborah Dunn
Venue: Joyce SoHo, New York City
Date: Wednesday, February 25, 2009, 8:00pm
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Dance Review: Doug Varrone & Dancers at the Joyce, NYC

Doug Varone And Dancers had a brilliant turn at the Joyce with their signature style of music in motion. Three dances were presented, each portraying a different aspect of the human spirit. Tomorrow (2000) builds from concepts of touch and intimacy. The company beautifully portrays this with great maturity and vulnerability. What is apparent about his company is that Varone allows the dancers to take center stage and tell human stories without overt dramatization.

In Lux (2006), Varone is the true master of timing, space and counterpoint as he illustrates Philip Glass’s compelling sore, “The Light”.  The company is fabulously trained in his more classic contemporary modern vocabulary.  The dancers are alive in this work and use an incredible amount of stamina. What makes the work a masterpiece is the feeling that each time it is exactly the same. Where more contemporary modern works have done away with counts, Varone has embraced the madness.  His work is clear even through the thick layering of dancers in complex ensemble variations.  It is like a kaleidoscope alive with body and image.

The NYC premier of Alchemy (2008) closes the pitch perfect night. The company dialed up the emotionality in this narrative story of the human spirit and raw perseverance.  Inspired by Steve Reich’s “Daniel Variations”, the dance blends biblical reference with the story of slain journalist, Daniel Pearl.  Upstage huge boulders are painted onto the darkness of a black scrim. The women in blue and the men in gray each represented Marianne and Daniel Pearl respectively.  Varone captured the stark reality of life/death and longing for one’s other half but does not allow sadness to overtake the work.  Both Daniels submitted to fate without loosing their humanity.

The dancers achieve this sense of "humanity" through embedding their souls in the movement and loosing anything that is irrelevant. The subtly “gaga-esque” gestures often cover the face or include subtle jerks of the extremities.  Varone’s movements live in a moment of extreme physical and emotional trial. The audience cannot peel their eyes from the frailty of the bodies—their vulnerability became universal. There is thickness on stage. There is oppression, desperation, anger, doubt, fear…. Yet, always there is faith.  The ‘irrational’ relationship between life and death is depicted with dignity.  Mrs. Pearlman is quoted in the program as saying “in the end, you can only oppose them with the strength they think they have taken away from you.”

Nothing was taken away from the outstanding performance of Doug Varone And Dancers Wednesday night at the Joyce.  Get out and see them this weekend.

Photography by © Phil Knott

iDANZ Critix Corner
Official Dance Review by Sasha Deveaux 
Performance: Doug Varrone and Dancers
Choreography:  Doug Varrone
Venue: The Joyce Theater, New York City
Date: Wednesday, February 25, 2009, 7:30pm
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Dance Review: Existentially Nathan, Nathan Trice/Rituals

Sunday started as a craaaazy only in New York day for me. I was busy writing a piece on another dance group in the morning, then I flew uptown to see my best friend’s son professional acting debut in a reading for a film, then met with a friend for a power dinner on the Upper West Side, and, within a thirty minute window still got down to LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and the Performing Arts to see Nathan Trice’s/Rituals with eight minutes to spare . . . whew!
As I walked into the dance department, Nathan had a young student escort me to my “chair” in the dance studio. A “chair” I say because the chairs were set up in a very non-traditional way: back to back, in a circle, in the center of the room where the audience was actually “in the round” and blue mats (for student types) circumscribed the formation. How intriguing? I’m assuming because I was “press,” I had the luxury of sitting in a folding chair as suppose to a yoga mat on the floor; . . . praise Jesus, because the chronic pain under my shoulder blade in my back from carrying my dance bag was killing me.

Beautiful, easy, neo-soul house music with a Brazilian lounge under-beat played while we waited in anticipation for the show to start. I’ve always appreciated Nathan’s work. I’ve been watching his work over the past ten-plus years and seen it grow since I was a young student at the Ailey school. His work always impressed me: the clarity, the seamless intricate movement vocabulary that forever seems to evolve right before your eyes. Fascinating! So, I was happy to come through to see what Nathan had in store for us this time.

“My intention is to create a series of abstract illustrations that expresses our efforts to convey, find a place for or translate into physical terms an inner knowledge of dispositions, which to some extent looks for confirmation in the outer-world in which we coexist.” –Nathan Trice Program Note

Four rooms, four works, a solo, a duet, a trio, a quintet. The show was set for the audience to travel from room to room in which the audience was split up into four groups to watch four performances simultaneously. Fitting that we were in a high school . . . It kind of reminded me of switching classes when the fifty-minute buzzard rang . . . great idea nonetheless.

First, for my group, was the duet, You & I, performed by Jason Fordham and Hillary Thompson. Again, we, the audience, were in the round. Because our chairs were in the center of a dance studio, we could see out, seeing our reflections in the mirrors around us. We could see behind ourselves too without even turning our heads. Directly in front of me, Jason Fordham got up from his chair and went to the stereo, turned it off, and began to move. Hillary Thompson soon came in to follow. Both wore sneakers to do Nathan’s contemporary modern moves. My first thought was . . ., “Does Ms. Mathisius know that they are dancing on the marley in sneakers?” . . . just kidding. But, no . . . for real . . .

Anywho, I really loved the use of space in You & I, especially the audience configuration in relation to the studio mirrors because we can look away from the dancers and still see all the movement making it even possible to see both one dancer move behind us in relation to the other dancer moving in front of us at the same time. Brilliant. Nathan created a nice movement vocabulary that explored suspended tension soloed and partnered, and I adored how he incorporated the house dance footwork with that “classic Nathan” movement quality that we all know Nathan for. Kudos to Jason and Hillary for execution . . . before seeing the end of the  piece, I picked up some hip hop elements that really worked for me. The rhythms that I saw performed in their bodies made me wonder if this is what contemporary hip hop would look like if done right . . . hmm. I say this because I see a lot of hip hop, perform it, critique it, etc., and I noticed a trend where a lot of hip hop choreographers are “trying” to incorporate unconventional contemporary movement into their choreography and fail miserably. At best, it comes off contrived; little do they know that it is masters like Nathan Trice (who, by the way, has been exploring contemporary movement for the greater portion of his adult life), that can pull this off with any integrity . . . just like hip hoppers circa the studio profit scene, their authenticity pails in comparison to the b-boys that break everyday in the NYC subway tunnels of 42^nd street or on the concrete pavement of Union Square. Thus, to be considered a master, it takes hours of study and exploration of craft (whichever genre it might be) in order to be considered a “true playa.”

O’kay, sorry, . . . super tangent, now back to the duet . . . There was a constant push and pull, a certain tension, or tug of war, that was not completely revealed until the end. When the music stop, the dancers kept going with a choreographed phrase and an uttered verbal yet physical argument about whether to teach a “hip hop and/or street jazz class” as compared to having a class taught to “Arab chanting.” Wow . . . All in all, I love Nathan’s use of his unconventional ideas with unconventional movement and daring to turn a conventional studio on its head to an unconventional performance space. That’s an artist!

We picked up our things and move onto the next room. We walked into the dance studio usually used as a black box theater. The walls and mirrors were covered with black curtains. The chairs were scattered about into the center of the room facing every direction leaving two aisles that crucifixed in the center. As we proceeded to sit, one of the ushers advised us to put all of our belongings under our chairs. We sat in anticipation. . . . Nathan never fails us to bring us a new experience. . . . Three female performers, Claire Tunkle, Jenni Hong, and Shannon Smith worked the room over giving a very strong performance. Nathan had them saying a mouthful of existential thought about “wishful thinking that leads to wishful hope” and “the need to believe” and not one stumbled! There was not a lot of dance in this piece, but it did not matter; it was powerful nonetheless. Once again, because Nathan has an excellent command of the use of space, the blocking patterns performed by the dancers were dope and made up for the lack of dance. The acting was on point and I commend Nathan for challenging the young ladies to act, for twenty minutes no less, to such existential monologues while so closely interacting with the audience.

On to the next room we went . . . we were now in a dance studio in which we as the audience were facing front in a normal proscenium, “fourth wall” configuration. Five dancers busted out into the room with a vengeance. They had total command of Nathan’s music in which the dancers themselves were there own soundtrack! Hot! They sounded AMAZING. Everyone had exceptional breath control. Simple costuming, they really showed their skill as talented dancers. I love how Ryogi Sasamoto went into this bipolar like rage. His arms would wail about, but with pure intent and clarity. His voice stunted, it reminded me of a bad dream in which you are trying to scream and nothing comes out. As an ensemble, I saw some great group work and real mastery of Nathan’s style. Kudos to the dancers for being able to sing and move through his movement vocabulary very efficiently with clarity especially when going from abstraction to seamless table attitudes and backward en dehors turns with legs a la seconde.

But, we were not done yet, for Nathan really knows how to build a piece into a climatic explosion because, all of the sudden, the dancers break and go into a crazy rage like some primal, sub human species similar to the infected humanoids in Will Smith’s movie, “I am Legend.” Yikes! Then, in classic Nathan form, the movement evolved into slow, deliberate movement phrases accompanied by continued stunted chatter similar to what we saw and heard in the beginning – which I gather could mean a sense of lack of human progression, stunted growth, recession, fear, perhaps. Either way, I was succumbed by the beautiful singing of Akiko Morita who was able to lull the dancers and the audience to a place of peace.

Last on my group’s route was Me, “The Solo.” Chairs were randomly set up diagonally with most facing closely to the two walls of mirrors. Nathan casually walked in with all black on and a pair of sneakers and takes a “runners” lunge. I was surprised he was dressed . . . usually he performs half naked . . . Anywho, I could hear in the last room Ryogi go into his convulsions again which made for an excellent soundtrack to Nathan’s solo. Nathan worked the room with interactive improvisations . . . he was crazy . . . such a clown . . . who knew? How fun! He started off real serious; thus, we had no idea what he had planned to do. He interacted with select members of the audience, and, of course, he picks me. OMG! I did not know whether to look at him, look past him, or join in. All I knew was that he was really working my classroom desk I was sitting in as if it was some kind of contemporary dance partner (or pole). With being that close though, I must say, it was great to see his body work for I could see every little limb, every individual finger, and every muscle isolate to great satisfaction . . . so much attention to detail. “Work it pa pa” . . . then, on to my neighboring audience member, he proceeded to improv and got so close and in her face that she started to laugh and Nathan started to laugh, and then we all started to bust out laughing. Live theater for you . . . I don’t know if that was pl anned, but it surely gave the audience great comic relief to all the heady artistry we just witnessed. Nevertheless, Nathan was able to compose himself, jump back into character, go back into his runners lunge, and take us back to the calm he started.

Overall, what a wonderful way to end a hectic evening . . . so, New York. Nathan has evolved into a fixture of the New York artist scene keeping ahead of the curve. Though this work was experimental, I liked the fact it was “all Nathan” with little collaboration, and did not include a copped-out multi-media display. It was simple and soooooooooooo effective. Every room had a different concept: some relied heavy on choreography, some relied heavy on words, and some relied heavy on the strength of a good improv, but either way, it was not boring. And, the dancers, . . . who knew that Nathan had such triple threats in his mitts? The acting was stellar and the singing/breath control was no joke and, on top of that, the dancers in this production really gelled with Nathan’s movement style to a “T.” I loved every minute of it. Kudos to Nathan for being such a renaissance artist. What a great night I had to see dance, theater, and experimental work at its finest!

Studio Photography by Judith Stuart Boroson

iDANZ Critix Corner
Official Dance Review by Candice Michelle Franklin
Performance: nathantrice/Rituals project-by-project dance theater
Venue: LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and the Performing Arts
Date: Sunday, February 22, 2009, 7pm
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Dance Review: Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana

NICE! . . . That’s all I had to say after seeing Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana at Brooklyn College’s Whitman Hall on Sunday. Dancers displayed power, grace, and precision through intricate foot combinations, stylized arms, and musical accuracy. The audience was full of people from different backgrounds and ages. There were only four woman and two men who danced on Whitman Hall’s huge stage and they commanded attention as if there were 20 dancers up there! This company was able to dazzle on a huge stage with no additions:  just dancers and lights and lets not forget to mention an excellent band where Felix de Lola and Juan Manuel Mora touched your soul as they belted beautiful melodies out into the hall.

The evening was filled with a series of pieces that contained solos and duets to show off the role of individual expression in Flamenco. 

One of my favorite pieces was a duet Tientos, performed by Fanny Ara and Fermin Calvo de Mora….Hot Hot Hot! The two moved seamlessly together and were excellent at creating so much emotion on stage that I felt I was up there with them.  I was proud to be in the audience and was reminded of why I myself started to dance and the importance of dance in culture. Their display of Flamenco represented everything that dance is supposed to be.

During “Mujeres” the women danced with gorgeous dresses with long trains called ‘bata de cola’  The women were able to glide across the stage moving the trains out of the way and still proceed with effortless foot work.

Another one my favorites was the finale number called fin de fiesta (por Bulerias), which represented a jam session where dancers take their turn showing off what they got….and they had a lot!. I most admired their ability to execute quick and complicated foot movements while moving much slower with the arms. There was also an incredible amount of intricacy with their hand movements. I could see every finger move even on such a huge stage. 

Overall, there was a maturity in their movement that only comes from mastery and really embodying what the dance is about. Flamenco Vivo is definitely superb. www.flamenco-vivo.org

Photography by Lois Greenfield © 2006

IDANZ Critix Corner
Official Dance Review by JoiLynn
Performance: Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana
Venue: Broklyn College, Whitman Hall
Date: Sunday, February 22, 2009
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Dance Review: Los Farruco... an Explosion of Passion!

Feet stomping. Voices wailing.  Hands twirling.  Fingers strumming.  Smoke whirling.  The New York City Center did not fail to deliver what I like to call an EXPLOSION of passion this past Sunday, February 22, with Los Farruco, the finale to the 2009 New York Flamenco Festival.  Less than two hands full of performers would grace the stage in an action-packed hour and half . . . but their impact was overflowing.

First you must understand the family history that makes this event so special.  Los Farruco considers itself the first family of Flamenco, creating a dynasty to keep the art alive and thriving beyond 50 years.  It began with El Farruco, the grandfather, who died in 1997, and trickles down through his children and grandchildren of names so similar it's hard to keep them straight!  There's El Farruquito (the grandson), Farruco/Farru (Farruquito's brother), La Farruca (their mother), La Faraona (La Farruca's sister), and Barullo (Faraona's son/cousin to Farru/Farruquito).  Confusing, right?  There will be a quiz on this later!

The show started with a stage set for 6 - a row of chairs horizontally waiting to be filled . . . except one, which held guitarist Antonio Rey, who lured us into the entrancing mood of flamenco right away . . .  with the help of a spotlight, smoke, and cool lighting . . .  I was truly impressed with the guitarist and soon to emerge singers, almost more than the dancing at first!  The guitar could lull you to sleep or inspire you to breathe fire with his amazing style and quick fingers.  The flamenco "voice" is so raw and beautiful.  It reminds me of a coyote howling against a starlit sky!

Eventually we saw Barullo and Farruco battling it out with the fanciest of footwork, ( I can't really explain it to the person who has never seen this- picture Irish step dancing mixed with Stomp the Yard with a lot of Spanish flair thrown in there), chest slapping, pirouetting, chest puffing, long hair dropping and cascading over the face . . . the works!  The way they danced was truly like being on a roller coaster ride . . .  while pressing fast forward and pause whenever you pleased!  They would start off slow, build, build, and build until the audience went crazy and screamed out in amazement!  Then they would suddenly just stop and collect their applause.  There was a lot of applause collecting going on, actually.  Farruco would walk from one side of the stage to the other bowing and opening his arms as if he had just won the Oscar.

My favorite was La Farruca, who was born in 1960 and commands the stage just by showing up.  No excess fluff needed.  You respected her, and were amazed by her innate flamenco prowess.  As she danced between her two sons, flailing and stomping, I couldn't help but think what an amazing adventure this must be for a small family . . . sharing the art of Spanish Gypsy dance with the biggest city in the world!  Definitely something different than the usual dance show, but full of culture, music, life, and the bonds of family.

Photography by Dean Thomas

IDANZ Critix Corner
Offical Dance Review by Sheena DiMatteo
Performance: Los Farruco, 2009 Flamenco Festival
Venue: City Center, New York City
Date: Sunday, February 22, 2009
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Dance Review: SOUND CHECK brought the rhythm . . . Who could ask for anything more?

Take it to the Stage: American Tap Dance Foundation's 4th Annual Benefit

ATDF's show brought back the beat! The American Tap Dance Foundation's 4th Annual Benefit, held at Judson Memorial Church, combined professional tap ensembles and legendary tap soloists with ATDF's Tap City Youth Ensemble, and presented them with skilled, live jazz musicians and popular music to a cheering audience.

The show opened with tap ensemble, Parallel Exit, performing the number "TIME STEP."   Dressed in formal suits, performers, Ryan Kasprzak, Brent McBeth, and Derek Roland executed their tapping on a raised portion of the stage. Their clean, a cappella tapping was enhanced by the smart lighting design in which three spot lights would follow each performer while they tapped. It got to the point where the lights changed focus for every single tap sound impressively showcasing a "call and response" style that I had never seen lit before. The three men were not only clean tappers, buy they were also poised with their arms and expressive with their faces, which is hard to achieve while creating such a rhythm with only the lower part of your body. 

As usual I brought my notebook with me to take notes after each number, and for this, I wrote "AMAZING!"


The next ensemble to perform was Barbara Duffy & Company.  This all female tap ensemble even had a female drummer which I found very refreshing.  Barbara and her dancers, Maya Jenkins, Chikako Iwahori, Karida Griffith, Carson Murphy and Claudia Rahardjanoto, each performed fabulous tap solos that showed off their individual abilities. These women were full of confidence and presentation!

Then it was time for the youth ensembles to hit the floor.  ATDF's Youth Program/ Beginning 3B Class. Five very young tappers danced to a piece based on the cartoon "Peanuts."   Not only was it adorable, but also very impressive. Their changes in patterns, weaving in and out of each other, formations, cannons in rhythm, and memorization and execution of basic and not so basic tap steps was really fantastic.  When I was their age and started tapping I was NOT that lucky to have such great choreography.  So here's to the young tappers and their teacher/ choreographer, Courtney Runft.


The Tap City Youth Ensemble was even more jaw-dropping.  Tap dancers out there know that you can't fake tapping.  You can't  forget what you're doing in an ensemble and keep going with a smile on your face as if nothing went wrong.  These dancers never skipped a beat!  They were together when the whole group was dancing, they were able to hold their own during cannons and while different rhythms and combinations were being performed by smaller groups of the dancers at the same time, and, they were OUTSTANDING during their improvised tap solos!!!  This was something that I never could master during my 10 years of tap training.  Improv tappers are something out of this world.  They are very comparable to jazz musicians who are known for their ability to improvise at any moment.  These young tappers could transform a few counts of eight into a solo that would showcase their creativity, expertise, and rhythmic understanding.  Some of them were more classical, keeping their weight on the balls of their feet; while others more rhythm-based, pounding the floor and daring never to stand straight up, but instead,  falling into the next step and catching themselves with their next tap step or trick.

By the way, I made a note in my notebook that Warren Craft has amazing clean and classic arms and a very relaxed style.  When I was in the eighth grade I performed a tap solo, but when I watched the video I realized that my left arm was stuck to my side while only my right one flailed around, compensating for my dead left arm. How embarrassing. Warren, I could've used you around to watch and learn from many years ago. ;)

Other performances of note: Kendrick Jones and Melinda Sullivan, performing the a cappella duet, were also multi-talented. They sang while they danced with each other in a classic movie style reminiscent of movie musicals from the Gene Kelly and Ginger Rodgers era.

Program directors Tony Waag and Chloe Arnold talked about how the show was created to raise funds for youth scholarships. Part of this program included performance intensives taught by top choreographers in which, after five hours, an audition was held, challenging young dancers to practice how well they could perform new choreography on the spot in order to "get the job." Those who made it past this phase learned the rest of the choreography for another four hours with their choreographer/s. The October choreographer, Dormeshia Sumbry Edwards, danced a solo in heels as if she were Savion Glover dancing in flats. She was really something to watch!  The December choreographer, Chloe Arnold, choreographed a very jazzy tap dance.   The November choreographer, Jason Samuels Smith, had a dance with a boy in the back with his shirt collar popped who really stood out.  I noted in my book that he had a great look for TV or film.  December choreographer, Derick K. Grant, choreographed the finale to Janet Jackson's "Miss you Much." The dance started with one solo tapper and three hip hop poppers (again, showcasing these young dancers and their multi-talented ways). The dance had a great urban style, and I loved the interaction between the hip hop dancers and the tap soloist. Overall, the group had a great energy, and it was interesting to see tap choreographed to Janet.

Tony Waag provides 75 + scholarships to the youth and is looking to raise more money because he said that it is the easiest thing for him to do to give a scholarship to a young tap dancer who needs it and deserves it. The American Tap Dance Foundation did a great job of bringing together NYC tappers. Tony Waag feels that tap is on it's way back up!  So, it would be wonderful for other communities to follow by Waag's example and get their tap dancers together, and ensure that tap dance does indeed boom again!

"All proceeds from this event support ongoing youth programs. In 2005, the ATDF created The Youth Education Initiative, dedicated to youth and audience development. The initiative consists of the Gregory Hines Youth Scholarship Fund, a merit & need-based scholarship program for low-income, 'at-risk' youth; the Tap City Youth Ensemble, a pre-professional program for aspiring young performers; a Year-Round Training Program for kids and teens; Public Performances introducing the general public to tap dance; and a pilot Internship Program. These growing programs are reaching more kids, providing performance and training opportunities, and giving greater support to young students in need of financial assistance." - ATDF program

Tony Waag With Many Hats:  Photography by Lois Greenfield
Headshot of Tony Waag:  Photography by Lois Greenfield
Barbara Duffy & Company:  Photography by Debi Field
Tap City Youth Ensemble:  Photography by Debi Field

iDANZ Critix Corner
Official Dance Review by Jessica Shahinian
Performance:  American Tap Dance Foundation/Sound Check
Venue:  Judson Church, New York City
Date:  Wednesday, February 18, 7pm
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Dance Review: Crazy, Sexy, Inferno

Hello, Disco Dance Lovers . . .  Do I have the show for you!  This past week the iDANZ Crew and I checked out an interactive lounge show called Crazy, Sexy, Disco at the Water Street Restaurant’s Underwater Lounge in Dumbo, Brooklyn, choreographed by the lovely ladies, Liz Piccoli, Jen James, and Svea Schneider.  This show was giving the “children” Jazz, the Disco, the Hustle, Pointe, Funk, and even House!  Was it crazy?  Yes.  Was it sexy? Ooooh, yea.  Was it disco?  Like dynamite!

As soon as the dancers came out onto the dance floor, the audience was taken back to the sounds of the 70’s, the moves and its groove, and the clothes to match. Because we were in a night club lounge, some non-traditional staging was in order; and, the choreographers rose to the challenge and MADE IT WORK!  Dancers were everywhere.  There were dancers on the stage, dancers on the floor, dancers on the stairs, and even dancers on the poles! As an audience member, you did not know where to look it.  You just knew that whichever your eyes landed, you were going to see some great dancing and if not that, some lovely eye candy.

Yes, the eye candy . . . do you have to be sexy with a hot body to be a dancer in this show? I guess so . . . kudos to the casting department because all the ladies were hot and the men were even hotter.

Technically speaking, each and every dancer was clearly gifted and trained. There were some fantastic lines and extensions even embedded within the 70s choreo that as a dancer, myself, I, of course, appreciated. I particularly loved the suspension technique used by dancer, Sincere.  Every move he did was executed with a sexy, deliberate consciousness that just “worked” and oozed artistry . . . that boy’s going places! And, Miss Piccoli . . . Whew . . . Every time choreographer Liz Piccoli rocked the floor, you could feel, without even touching her, that she was committed to every move.  Such passion, I loved it.  Choreographer, Jen James too, nails everything she does with fierce confidence, as well as choreographer, Svea Schneider, who effortlessly moves from move to move with sweet finesse.

Some of my favorite parts were danced by Zachary Dennison, who played the Cupid Fairy/Dancing Queen.  Never over doing his part, Zachary gave the audience just the right amount of comic relief to keep us in stitches. I also, like the dance in which the female dancers wore cellophane wrapped around their bodies in which their arms were trapped next to their torsos and their hands could not connect.  I must confess that I actually saw this dance performed once before at the Sybarite Hip Hop show in December and actually thought that it was more effective on a proscenium arched stage rather than what I just saw dispersed throughout the room. It kind of lost its artistic clarity in such a non-traditional space; however, if I never saw that other version, I would still say that it was a fun and effective piece.

My other favorite part, (most likely because I am a “house head”) was the house dance section towards the end of the show performed by the full cast.  It was great to see some authentic house fused with great technique and jazz moves.  The music was hot, the moves were tight, and at this time in the whole show, you could really see the dancers “live.” Yow!

Besides dancing, there were some cool throwbacks sung by Jamilia Hall like “Hot Stuff” and Diana Ross’ “Upside Down.” Jamilia is known around the New York dance scene as a fierce hip hop dancer; however, her dancing was not exactly utilized in this production in its full regalia.  But, it was dope to see her out of her usual element, acting and singing instead.  Who knew Miss Thing could sing so well?  You go, girl!   Also on the program, were some fun, interactive game show sketches and dance contests in which the audience could participate that sometimes made for an amusing diversion.

As far as the "flow" of the show, I felt that there was an uneven momentum between many segments.  This may be my puny attention span talking, . . . but, I really wished the segments were more layered, or overlapped, rather than each segment and/or song having to stop before another segment/song started, for there were soooooo many great moments in the show, and "to pause" just took away . . . Ugggh!  I think for this ADD generation, and especially since the audience was in a lounge and most likely somewhat tipsy, a "non-stop" structure would better complement the choreography and give the show's flow an enhanced sense of urgency, a fiercer vigor, more in tune with the production's already established energy provided by such nice, high-energy moves. I also thought the music, for again, being inside a night club, was way too low and most likely needed to be re-engineered in a music studio to fix the levels.  I liked watching the dancers, but the whole time I wished the bass was kicked up several notches to make me feel that 70's funk and bounce under my seat. I love Earth, Wind, & Fire and I love to hear the band in all it's bass and "freaky get down" glory.  That unmistakable "grind" in that bass is what makes this sista want to move. Other than that and those other little minor things . . . great show, Crazy Sexy Disco!

All in all, the audience finds themselves surrounded by the action AND attraction in Crazy Sexy Disco all the while enjoying drinks, food, and other live, "in-your-face" diversions.  Kudos are in order to the three choreographers for having the ability to combine their creative forces for this unique production.  With talented dancers full of energy, pizzazz, and flashy spandex bedazzled with sequins, . . . really, . . . what more can you want?  If you love disco and you like to dance, come down and join the fun.  You too may even want to "get down," do "the bump," and adorn an Afro of your own!

Crazy Sexy Disco is currently playing at the Water Street Restaurant, Underwater Lounge, 66 Water Street, Dumbo Brooklyn, just a hop away from Manhattan with beautiful scenic views near the Brooklyn Bridge.  This show can also be seen Off Broadway at the D-Lounge in the Daryl Roth Theater in Union Square, 101 East 15^th Street, New York City.  Doors open at 10:00 and tickets are $20.  Tickets can be purchased at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/57529.

Crazy Sexy Disco Finale snapshot taken "live and in the moment" by Candice Rox 

iDANZ Critix Corner
Official Dance Review by Candice Rox
Performance:  Crazy Sexy Disco
Choreographer:  Liz Piccoli, Jen James, & Svea Schneider
Venue:  Underwater Lounge, Dumbo, Brooklyn, New York
Date:  February 19, 2009
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Dance Review: The Extra-Sensory Pedestrians/ Kimberly Young, Wunderkammer

Wonder why?

Wunderkammer, according to Wikipedia, is a cabinet of curiosities, a collection of objects categorized as belonging to natural history, geology, ethnography, archaeology, religious or historical relics, works of art, and antiquities. In other words, it's a collection of random stuff. Kimberly Young's piece entitled, Wunderkammer is just that.

A semi-transparent plastic shower curtain spans the entire width of the space in the Joyce Soho theater. It creates a divide between what is clearly visible and what is blurred, mysterious, and obscured. At times a dancer will pass beyond this veil, turn into a ghostlike presence, and disappear. It's an intriguing visual effect, which could have been used more.

A majority of the piece is performed in front of the veil, in clear view. The five dancer company, which includes Young, is dressed in gray-black casual attire, something between what you would wear to a modern dance class and what you would wear on the street. Only a bit of cream-colored lace trim is added to the costumes to define them as costumes.

The performance is an ongoing sequence of disjointed movements. True to the title, it's a collection of everything, including the kitchen sink. They lay on their backs and flutter their feet in the air, do ballet-esque passés, bang on an imaginary piano on the floor, do contact improv. style partnering, run backwards, do twisted floor movements, crawl like animals... You name it, it's in there. Although these movements are interesting in themselves, the piece is hard to follow, because there's nothing to follow. Everything is taken out of context because there is no context. There's no through line, no progression, nothing to grasp onto.

But, there is a moment about midway through which is effective. All five dancers come to a still, standing facing the audience. They gradually melt into distorted dance party moves. For the first time in Stephen Moore's sound score, a steady beat comes in. The lights turn disco-style colors, and the scene takes on the atmosphere of a drunken, potentially drug enhanced, dance party.

I will give Kimberly Young and her dancers credit for their committed, well rehearsed performance. There are sequences in precise unison with unexpected timing, rather than steady counts. This synchronized timing can only be achieved through much repetition to commit the rhythm to memory.

The thing with Kimberly Young is that she's young. She has the ingredients, she just needs to learn how to use them to consciously construct a work. Right now, she tosses them all into the cabinet of curiosities. Wunderkammer, makes me wonder why.

iDANZ Critix Corner
Official Dance Review by Julie Fotheringham
Performance: the Extra-Sensory Pedestrians
Choreographer:  Kimberly Young
Venue: Joyce Soho, New York City
Date: Feb. 20, 2009
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Dance Review: Carmen—Passionately Beautiful Flamenco

Antonio Gades’ Company worked it out with their critically acclaimed Carmen (1983) which originally premiered in Paris. This dance/theatre fusion combines the best of classical flamenco, props/theatrical staging, and performing musicians with Bizet’s original opera score from 1875. Ultimately, Carmen was a performance of raw life on stage -a tragic heroine, who could very possibly be one of the most complex characters ever written for a woman to portray.

Antonio Gades’ company is red hot with passion for flamenco, and, impossible precision! It is no wonder why he is considered a world-class dancer/choreographer. Gades envisions Carmen as “neither a frivolous woman nor a man-eater. She’s just an honest woman . . .” The opening scene shows the dancers in beautiful ruffled skirts as if rehearsing. They fiercely present the essence of the movement across the floor with their percussive steps better timed than some of the nation’s best tap companies. Moreover, using a more complete body posture, the lady’s arm movements are just mesmerizing as they move through circular positions. This particular movement style can be traced back to classical Indian dance. Thus, being that Flamenco in Spain is attributed to the culture of gypsies, Carmen would be their heroine.

In the second scene, the other women taunt her for freely expressing her sexuality. Not having any of it, Carmen pulls out a knife and gives one girl a buck-fifty (slash to her face)! In the original opera, when asked why she’s so gangsta, she sings “Tra La La La.” What is most striking about Stella Arauzo’s seasoned performance of Carmen is the range of emotions as well as styles of flamenco that she nails. She has no problem dancing a "down and dirty" bar scene then turning around, upright, to dance more romantic sections. Always in character, she sits with legs wide open and skirts pulled up to reveal a little thigh.

The three men in her life: a high ranking officer, her husband, and a Toreador (bullfighter) are each played off each other. Carmen loves ‘em and leaves them to follow her own destiny. She is not owned by any man.

The musician playfully added to this colorful display of humanity by bringing comedy and less traditional games into the mix. For example, the entire audience laughs hysterically as a male musician dons a skirt to do an amazing rendition of Carmen himself.

They say that dance theatre is a dead art form . . . However, no one at City Center would ever believe that statement after watching this amazing re-staging, of such a classic story, sparked to life through Flamenco. Antonio Gades’ Company brought from Andaluza real raw emotion, from the depths of the soul of a woman—Carmen. The encore lasted for twenty minutes. It is amazing to see dancers who refuse to leave the stage! A fitting start to the Flamenco Festival in NYC . . . Get out to see what you can.

iDANZ Critix Corner
Official Dance Review by Sasha Deveaux
Performance: Antonio Gades Company, "Carmen"
Choreographer: Antonio Gades
Venue: City Center, New York City
Date: February 18, 2009
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Dance Review: How the West was Won, One and Fun

Aspen and Santa Fe are a long way from NYC, especially when it is a rainy, cold night.  Thankfully, the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet Company brought with them gorgeous dancers and the gorgeous beauty of Colorado and New Mexico.  They took me away for an hour and half, and made me forget that I was in New York altogether.

Picture it . . . a white marley, two white scrims on either sides of the stage and a matching white backdrop. eight flawless, classically trained dancers performing together in perfect harmony, and Helen Pickett's spectacular choreography to the music of Philip Glass and Thomas Montgomery Newman, and you have the phenomenal opening of Aspen Santa Fe Ballet's Wednesday night performance at the Joyce Theatre! 

The first piece entitled Petal was a dance that looked like a field of flowers at sunrise and sunset.  It was an awesome display of athleticism and technique.  The dancers bring with them the landscapes of the west in colors and energy, and I was wrapped from the word GO!!!!!

Next, it gets even better.  Chameleon, choreographed by Itzik Galili, had 5 women, all dressed in sheer black, form fitting slips, seated in green chairs downstage.  Almost entirely a gestural work, this piece felt like full out dancing.  The piece, for me, felt like getting the full perspective of what it is like to be a woman:  the self love, the self loathing, the cattiness, the camaraderie, the sexuality, the security and insecurity.  You name it, and they gave it to you.  The lighting was severe and dark and was in such contrast to the previous lightness of Petal, that it was the perfect match to follow.   Chameleon was a series of insinuating gestures giving you insight into what it is to be a woman in public and private.  The piece was so enthralling, and thrilling, and as the women were accelerating through their choreography, they brought me closer and closer to the edge of my seat until they each finally found their individual resolve.  . . . And, I just sat back, took a breath, and fell even more in love with this ballet company, its dancers, and their diversely surprising repertory.

The third piece to follow was Slingerland Pas De Deux, by none other than the infamous William Forsythe.  Legendary and  irrefutable is his vision and his choreography.  It was just a simple pas de deux that shared a glimpse into what not only Mr Forsythe is capable of, but also the dancers of Aspen Santa Fe.  Sam Chittenden and Katherine Eberle moved immaculately as one.  They were lit by two work lights positioned in the upstage corners of the stage facing the audience and the dancers, highlighting the form of movement and putting the emphasis on the choreography and the dancers ability to dance it, instead of having to perform it.  It was brief and beautiful.

 

The closing piece of the evening was Jorma Elo's 1st Flash.  Eric Chase, Sam Chittenden, Seth DelGrasso, Katie Dehler, Katherine Eberle, and Samantha Klanac finished the concert just as amazingly as it was started.  The music of Jean Sibelius was a bit dramatic and old fashion sounding for such neoclassical work but the dancers were so committed, and the choreography was so fun and isolating and all encompassing that I was able to forgive the melodrama of the last few minutes of the score.   Dressed in grey, group sections, solos, duets, and trios swept through and across the stage.  Filling the remainder of the evening with fierce dancing, memorable combinations of quick jumps, low lunges, off balanced pirouettes, and seamless partnering.  5 stars!!

The night was non stopped dancing and was so much fun to watch.  They were a privilege to see, and it was such a rewarding concert to be apart of on a rainy and cold NYC night.

Photography by Rosalie O'Connor

www.aspensantafeballet.com

iDANZ Critix Corner  
Official Dance Review by Dante Puleio
Performance: Aspen Santa Fe Ballet
Venue:  Joyce Theatre, New York City
Date:  February 18, 2009
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Dance Review: Ron Brown's Work is Evidence of Brilliance

Ron Brown's Program B is a brilliance sandwich. All three parts are made up of the stuff of brilliance, but the real meat of it is in the middle (appropriately so). That meat is called Walking Out the Dark I, and it is the kind that is fully seasoned and tenderized. The surrounding pieces (the bread) are not nearly as excitingly seasoned, but a necessary and essential part of a Ron Brown balanced meal.

Opening the show, Ebony Magazine asks the onlooker, "Do you see what I see?" in the midst of beautiful patterns and movement exploding on the stage, kaleidoscopic at times. The black and white garb including long, black satin gloves, cocktail dresses and suits for the men scream elegance.

After this explosion of elegance, the four men of the company dance and breath as one to a poem, which includes lines such as "Your god does not have long, blonde hair"..."Come down my brother...don't walk around like you are on tv...". They dance to the tempo of each others breath, which they listen hard to as they go from slow ronde de jambs with the body undulating down to a "hit the wall" abrupt stance with bodies as rigid as stone.

When Arcell Cabuag (who is also the Associate Artistic Director) enters the stage in long, flowing white material to the sound of seagulls, a climax is reached. Arcell takes flight as he dances with an ethereal quality. He dances the dance of a ghost and a bird in the way he floats in his attitude pitch falls and into the ground African praises. He foreshadows his own death with his ghostliness. This solo ends in his death as he lays peacefully on his back downstage as his friends walk up to him, acknowledge that he has passed on and exit the stage without grievance.

The dancers return to the stage to dance the beauty and joy that is oozing out of the words "Do you see what I see". These words are spoken over and over again live by the spoken word artist, Wunmi. Sometimes the simplest moments in life are so beautiful to one person, but remain unnoticed by another. The dancers simply walk across the stage in brightly colored outfits before letting the joy of the music make them groove with African steps and jumps, which is contagious as they force the others to see the beauty that they see and that they feel-that we see and that we feel.

The second piece, A Walk in the Dark I, is the meat of the brilliance this evening. A mother and a daughter and a father and a son stand diagonally across from one another at all four corners of the stage. As they bare their souls to each other in bare, flesh colored outfits, the eternal "bickering" of a parent and child comes alive. The first section in this piece portrays the daughter and the son throwing horrible temper tantrums as they angrily thrust their ribcage and pelvis, flail their bodies through the air and slam on the ground face first. In the second section, the mother and the father retaliate with the ever so ominous guilt trip. This is poignantly portrayed by the mother as she grand pleás in second while scooping up the hurt heart and the pool of tears off of the ground to present to the child.

There is no relation between this mother and father, and, in fact, they don't exist to each other. The same goes for the children. These are two separate families who happen to be going through turbulence at the same time on the same planet (or, on the same stage). The fact that they never see each other is astonishing as they execute complex patterns. The two pairs intertwine between one another as they fight with their respective parent without even a glance in the direction of the other dueling pair as they come within a hair's breadth. At one point, the daughter figure-eights around the father while she continues her argument with her mom, and the father focuses his angst on his son.

The absolute climax of this piece is the period when all four dancers exist in their own heads for a moment as they dance angry solos. The flailing and abrupt movement that has been prevalent throughout the piece is used in each of their solos. This is the first time in the piece when all of them are directing their angst inward and not relating to the parent or child. Immediately following this, all of them lie down on the ground in a straight horizontal line (after the mother is the last one standing as she has the last word). Dirt falls in the same straight horizontal line that the families are lying in from the catwalk. The dirt falls four times. They are now buried in the ground. We have an everlasting struggle with our parents that starts at the beginning and ends at the end.

The last piece of the evening, Exotica, shows not only a wide range of style (from stunning classic technique to dirty stank), but also a range of music and atmosphere. Exotica takes us straight from the night club where everyone is shaking their booty to pumping bass to the church scene where people bow their head in prayer as His Eye is on the Sparrow plays.

Throughout the nightclub scenes and church scenes (they continue to interchange and the music quite often overlaps), their movement evokes praise not only toward the sky praising the Lord but also inward praising oneself and down to the ground praising elders. There is one movement that becomes a motif, quickly praising those three things by placing the hand to the ground, to one's heart and then toward the sky as they simply walk across the stage.

The message that this sends is clear: whether in church, at a club or at home, you can make any place a church by praising life. The costumes add to the celebration with various shades of brightly colored velvet dresses and pant suits on the men and women. My personal favorite part of this celebration aside from the beautiful praise is how "in the pocket" all of the dancers are. At one point, all of the dancers are in two lines, and they pause for a moment before grooving-a groove that almost appears to be internal as they get deeper and deeper in the pocket.

Ron Brown and his dancers continue to bring us unique contemporary dance that is deep seated in African movement. The work takes an honest look at life and death with a readiness at all moments to celebrate all ups and downs. Ron Brown's choreography and the dancers' passion work together to permanently brand the concept of each piece on each person walking away from the theater.

Studio Photography by: Daniel Hedden.

iDANZ Critix Corner
Official Dance Review by

Adrienne Jean Fisher
Performance: Ronald K. Brown's Evidence
Choreographer: Ron Brown
Venue: Joyce Theatre
Date: February 12, 2009
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