Author: jason

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… Still We Sit

Battery Dance Festival: Wednesday (Performance 5 of 7)

“It’s time to go, but still we sit, lingering in our summer”

Inspired by a poem by John Fuller, “… Still We Sit” is about the blossoming but intricate relationship between a couple. The choreography comprised mostly of simple movements. Among the synchronized steps, mirrored moves, the longing for each other, and the joy of spending time together, however, moments of dissonance would arise revealing ambivalent emotions in the couple. From initially walking past each other in opposite directions, the couple ended the performance sitting side-by-side, arm-in-arm, finding comfort in each other’s presence. What a lovely story.

“… Still We Sit” by Maxine Steinman & Dancers (2002)
Choreography: Maxine Steinman and Raymundo Costa
Dancers: Maxine Steinman, Columbine Macher
Photography: Jason Chuang

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Re(Wind) by Ballet Inc.

Battery Dance Festival: Wednesday (Performance 4 of 7)

One of my two favorites of the night!! I love the beautiful, gorgeous, and sensual ballet aesthetics of Ballet Inc…. but that’s not all! More than the movements themselves, I love how Ballet Inc.‘s choreographies showcase the individual dancers regardless of race, ethnicity, and body type — building on their diversity and uniqueness to create the stunning visuals. It’s my third time seeing Ballet Inc., and every performance of theirs has blown me away. Bravos!!

“Re(Wind)” by Ballet Inc. (World Premier)
Choreography: Aaron Atkins
Dancers: Ballet Inc.
Photography: Jason Chuang

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The Weight by Wilder Project

Battery Dance Festival: Wednesday (Performance 3 of 7)

I had to do some research after the show, to fully understand this choreography. There’s apparently a film version of this work, set in the “raw beauty of the northern Maine wilderness.” The pebble stones, movements that (I presume) resemble splashing into a tidal marsh, and even the title make so much more sense. Only if I had these accompanying visuals/description during the show!

“The Weight” by the Wilder Project (2015)
Choreography: Holly Wilder
Dancers: Victoria Daylor, Tanner Myles Huseman, Shelby Claire, Jesse Obremski, Chase Macauley Maxwell
Photography: Jason Chuang

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Dispar

Battery Dance Festival: Wednesday (Performance 2 of 7)

The CNDC from the Dominican Republic also presented a second work tonight, a duet titled “Dispar” that builds on their earlier theme of how we face issues in our daily lives.

“Dispar” by Compañia Nacional de Danza Contemporánea de Republica Dominicana (New York Premier)
Choreography: Michael Foley
Dancers: Patricia Ortega, Erick Roque
Costumes: Patricia Ortega, Erick Roque
Photography: Jason Chuang

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Pez Esfinge by Cia Elías Aguirre

Battery Dance Festival: Wednesday (Performance 1 of 7)

Elías Aguirre Imbernón presented a second choreography tonight, exploring the concept of apparent immobility, such as a fish swimming against the current.

“Pez Esfinge” by Cia Elías Aguirre (U.S. Premier)
Choreography: Elías Aguirre
Dancers: Elías Aguirre Imbernon, Jose Jurado Giles
Photography: Jason Chuang

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Everyone Dance Now

Day Two of the Battery Dance Festival (Finale)

Tonight’s program ended with everyone dancing to Latin and Dominican Republic music, led by dancers in the Compañia Nacional de Danza Contemporánea de Republica Dominicana.

The 36th annual Battery Dance Festival continues every evening this week, through Saturday at Battery Park.

I sadly cannot make tomorrow’s performance, but *YOU* should go see “One To(o) Many Colors” by Kalamandir Dance and the rest of the program featuring an evening of Indian and Indian-inspired dancing. Merde, Anjana, Maria, and Montana!

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American Cinema

Day Two of the Battery Dance Festival (Performance 7 of 7)

My favorite performance tonight goes to “American Cinema” by the Nadine Bommer Dance Company.

The first thing that struck me about this choreography was the movement quality. The five dancers donned nude-colored costumes and moved like wooden puppets on stage. The amount of details that went into the movement quality was stunning. The dancers’ arms would bound slightly at the end of a movement. Their legs would buckle ever so slightly as they stood. No photography can do this piece justice. You have to see the movements to understand how “real” the puppets felt.

Second, I loved the narrative. The piece is titled “American Cinema” and performed mostly on a set of vintage red velvet “movie theater” chairs. Accompanied by rock music by the Ween Brothers, the choreography evoked memories from the golden era of the American cinema. We never found what what movies the dancers were watching, but each song brought out a different story about our five characters. A flirtatious teenage girl. Boys asking girls out on a date. Making out at the movies. Interlaced with traumatic adolescence events, a boy and a girl finally got together, and so did two other boys.

A wonderfully imaginative and playful piece of dance theatre. Bravos, Nadine Bommer Dance Company!

“American Cinema” by Nadine Bommer Dance Company (2008)
Choreography: Nadine Bommer
Dancers: Jamison Goodnight, Delphina Parenti, Sammy Roth, Gaya Bomer Yemini, Maor Shiry Zuriel
Photography: Jason Chuang

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Shy Blue by Cia Elías Aguirre

Day Two of the Battery Dance Festival (Performance 6 of 7)

“Shy Blue” by Cia Elías Aguirre (U.S. Premier)
Choreography: Elías Aguirre
Dancers: Elías Aguirre Imbernon, Jose Jurado Giles, Lautaro Alejandro Reyes Saez
Photography: Jason Chuang

Elías Aguirre’s “Shy Blue” reminded me of one of my earliest exposure to experimental dance, when Katharine Hawthorne choreographed “Fell” to explore the sensation of bodies falling under gravity. Whereas Katharine had to repeatedly climb up ladders, to fight and succumb to gravity, Elías and company were on a rocking ship tonight — three dancers moving to the sounds of the ocean and waves, and reacting to the unforgiving forces of mother nature.

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Mari Meade Dance Collective

Day Two of the Battery Dance Festival (Performance 5 of 7)

What I like the most about “Dialogue” by Mari Meade Dance Collective is the partnering. The choreography opened with two dancers “shadow” partnering — moving together in response to each other, without actually physically touching. The movements began to build with the addition of a third dancer, before eventually introducing the entire company of nine dancers. At first glance, this performance could be mistaken for improvisation, but small repetitions (both in time and sometimes in small groups of three dancers) revealed subtle structures in the art of collaboration.

“Dialogue” by Mari Meade Dance Collective (2017)
Choreography: Mari Meade
Dancers: Dia Dearstyne, Breanna Gribble, Misuzu Hara, Sean Hatch, Amanda Hinchey, Morgan Hurst, Isaac Owens, Or Reitman, Rachel Rizzuto
Costumes: Marc Witmer
Photography: Jason Chuang

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Echoes by FJK Dance

Day Two of the Battery Dance Festival (Performance 4 of 7)

My two thoughts as I watched “Echoes” by Fadi J. Khoury Dance were… First, gorgeous techniques!!! I wanted to take more ballet and jazz classes, just so that I could move as beautifully as the five men on stage. Second, the men had all the fun in this piece. Sorry ladies but the men got the more exciting leaps, the more dynamic movements, and even the prettier scarves. A lovely, powerful, and at times sensual choreography. Well done, F.J.K. Dance!

“Echoes” by Fadi J. Khoury Dance (2016)
Choreography: Fadi J. Khoury
Dancers: Fadi J. Khoury, Sevin Ceviker, Nick Peregrino, Elisa Toro Franky, Dannys Gonzalez, Lucia Jackson, Jose Losada, Serena Giannini, Motasem Amairy, Mara Driscoll
Photography: Jason Chuang