Category: DANCE

Posted on

Trisha Brown Dance Company

Trisha Brown Dance Company at the Joyce Theater.

I’ve been waiting for this show since I last saw Trisha Brown at Fall for Dance!

A theme of modern dance is weight shifts. In all three choreographies today, Trisha explored and pushed the boundary of not just weight shifts by a dancer but weight sharing between dancers. She showed us smooth, beautiful, and elegant transitions, lifts, counterbalances, and dynamics — that felt both natural and surprising. Natural because the dancers moved as if they were guided by nothing other than gravity. Surprising because the gentle gravity built up to powerful momentum, and momentum shifted seamlessly from dancer to dancer.

I love her use of groups of dancers, especially the section when all ten company dancers moved together in “Groove and Countermove”. The dancers were never in sync, yet they were keenly aware of each other’s presence, moved with each other, as if all ten bodies were connected as one.

I also enjoyed the small section in “L’amour au Théâtre” when Cecily Campbell, Kimberly, Leah Ives, and Amanda Kmett’Pendry formed beautiful visuals and patterns.

The flutist in “Geometry of Quiet” did an incredible job supplementing the movements with unusual sounds that resembled heavy breathing, among other notes. Other than being unusual, however, I didn’t feel the music contributed significantly to the choreography.

Posted on

Ballet Hispánico

Bravos to Ballet Hispánico for a stunning performance last night at the Apollo Theater.

Ballet Hispánico was one of my favorite companies to present the Joyce Theater last season. Their show was not just visually stunning, but prompted me to write this blog post on Why Dance Matters.

I was so glad to see more of their work last night.

I still love every aspect of “Con Brazos Abiertos” by Michelle Manzanales. Even though the dance, music, and sounds are about Michelle’s experience growing up as Mexican American in Texas, her choreography resonated with me growing up as Taiwanese Canadian in the US. I love the emotional, powerful, uplifting spirit of the piece; the struggles of finding one’s identity as an immigrant; and seeing the protagonist grow stronger and more confident through the dance.

During the post-show chat, an audience member asked how the choreography is received in the rest of the US. Artistic Director Eduardo Vilaro gave the reaction of a lawyer working for DACA youths, who saw the show in Texas. Even though she had gone into the theatre disheartened, she was so overwhelmed and so inpired by the dance, that she felt rejuvenated and found purpose in her work again.

I also enjoyed “Bury Me Standing” by Ramón Oller that reflected on the experience of Gypsies or “Roma” people living in Spain, and “Espiritu Vivo” by Roland Brown showcasing the lively music and dance of African and Latino diasporas in the Caribbean and Latin America.

Posted on

Liz Gerring Dance Company

Lovely performance by the Liz Gerring Dance Company at the Joyce Theater this Friday.

Dance speaks to everyone in different ways. Lately, I’ve been wondering, asking, and paying extra attention to how people think of “movement versus music.”

Tonight’s post-show discussion was particuarly interesting, because Liz Gerring answered an audience question just as how I would have. It was astonishing, almost bewildering, listening to Liz articulate her experience, when her answer *exactly* matches how I personally experience dance.

“Which comes first? Choreography or music?”

Liz answers that she thinks of music as support. She enjoys how music sounds, and enjoys her 30-year working relationship with Michael Schumacher, the resident composer of her company. However, music should be an element to the visual picture without interfering. She enjoys creating her work without having to follow a certain beat.

Her philosophy definitely came through in tonight’s presentation of “Horizon” — in the distinct movement language that Liz has constructed, and in the physicality and boldness of the dancers’ movements.

Posted on

The Chase Brock Experience

I had a fun time at the Chase Brock Experience this Wednesday evening!

My favorite goes to “The Song That I Sing; Or, Meow So Pretty” — a dynamic piece with a big American theme — featuring a wide array of American dance forms from clogging, square dancing, swing dancing, to tap dancing; accompanied by catchy folk music. Bravos to the dancers for the vivid portrayal of the many aspects of American life, and the amazing execution of so many distinct dance forms in a single choreography.

Posted on

More Star Dust

Just have to see the incredible Complexions Ballet and Star Dust one more time. Thank you, and congrats on a wonderful Joyce season!

Kate, the audience member sitting next to me, summarized the performance perfectly in one sentence: “Wow. That’s the most amazing dance I have EVER seen.”

Posted on

Star Dust by Complexions

Star Dust by Complexions Ballet. One of my all-time favorites!!!

Set to chart-topping songs by David Bowie, Star Dust is not just a stunning ballet but an unforgettable rock concert.

The mood of a dazzling and glistening show is set, as soon as the curtain draws open, with the company standing tall as silhouettes against a backdrop of laser lights and disco balls.

I get the goosebumps listening to Brandon Gray sing “Lazarus” accompanied by gorgeous ballet. Energy and excitement build up. Brandon morphs into Andrew Brader in “Change”. Shanna Irwin strolls across the stage, in pointe with poise and attitude, foreshadowing what’s to come in “Space Oddity”. The audience goes wild (every time), when Addison Ector takes center stage in pointe. The beautiful and playful ballet up to this point now turns into powerful commanding movements. Each later song brings its own emotion and character onto stage: youthfulness and spirit in “1984”, humanity and kindness in “Heroes”, dynamism in “Modern Love”. The show always feels way too short, when the company dances their heart out in “Young Americans” to close the performance. Bravos!!!

Posted on

Complexions Ballet

​Go and see Complexions Ballet at the Joyce Theater until Sunday November 26th!

Congrats to Eriko Sugimura on debutting as a member of Complexions in New York City.

Complexion’s program for week one includes four premieres by four different choreographers. I especially enjoyed the contemporary piece “Summertime” and its emotional buildup, as choreographed by Dee Daspary and performed by Andrew Brader, Larissa Gerszke, and Youngsil Kim. Shanna Irwin and Addison Ector were beautiful in Ido Tadmor’s “Postponed Conversation”. I also like “Duo” which followed Dwight Rhoden’s beautiful lines and aesthetics of tall and elegant dancers.

Three things I learnt from Wednesday night’s curtain chat.

Desmond Richardson’s biggest piece of advice to dancers: “Dance needs to come from your heart. Have an experience dancing, and we (the audience) will have an experience watching you.”

Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson choreograph for SYTYCD. Contestants on the show have only five hours to learn, rehearse, and put everything together! :O

The official name for the company is “Complexions, a Concept in Dance” and its mission is to “expose society to the beauty of dance and to use dance as a medium to exemplify cultural, racial and aesthetic diversity.”