Dance Review: ANGEL FELICIANO’S THE MOVEMENT MOVES

Angel Feliciano’s performance at the Joyce Soho touched on the dynamics of New York City as a birth place to numerous dreams and a dying hood and thus a dying mother of Hip Hop.  The precision was ridiculously on point and choreography was both witty and intelligent.  Hot hot hot! . . .

The evening consisted of hard hitting solo performances influenced by various Hip Hop styles.  Sharp group patterns framed the story of an inspiring artist, a troubled couple, and neighborhood friendships.  The evening featured hip hop legend Jazzy J, and, the PJ Lockers, Nobuya Nagahama and Noel Rodriguez, as well as dancers like, Takahiro Ueno and Diosmer Reynoso, who too demanded attention with their skill and grace.

Although the costumes were basic and the set was minimalist in structure (which was not a real issue for the most part), Angel had no problem carrying the audience to that part of New York City that breathes hip hop culture.  Most scenes had a similar format of individual performances followed by group combinations with power endings like a strike of lightening.  Such amazing precision, again, I must say!  One of my favorite scenes was performed by Noel Rodriguez as he performed with a video game controller.   Even his fingers hitting the buttons were on point and crazy in-sync with the music!

Angel did a fierce job mixing dance, hip hop culture, and elements of traditional theater.  It was dope how Angel was able to effectively take the elements of popular hip hop entertainment and mix them together to tell a story of substance.  As a dancer myself, I was moved to see these hip hop dancers tell these stories with their movement, with such passion -which is something, that to me, is a necessity.  . . . Who wants to see dancers that don’t make you want to jump out your seat?  Right?

. . . On a side note, I was extremely impressed with Angel’s very creative and professional staging of the dancers’ seamless entrances and exits in a non-traditional theater; and, kudos to the dancers for being able to jump in and out of character instantly on a stage without wings!  Dancer came from downstage, through the audience, and behind the upstage wall so quickly and efficiently that you never knew where the next dancer was coming from next.  It was great.  These are definitely the signs of a true artist.    

All in all, Angel’s work not only shows promise in style and technicality, but promise in representing a true artistic vision and creating work that says what dancers have to say…Check ‘em out at www.showthemovement.com.

Photos by Takahiro Ueno and Anne Hugus

iDANZ Critix Corner
Official Dance Review by JoiLynn
Performance: Angle Feliciano’s “The Movement”
Venue: Joyce Soho, New York City, NY
Date: Thursday, February 5th, 2009
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