Dance Review: Poon, Tearing Up the Dance Floor with Terre

In the heart of the meatpacking district of Manhattan, where all the club crawlers go, is Club Cielo.  Upon entering, you may believe you have walked into any other chill dance place- stylish decor, hip vibe, and efficient bartenders.  House music is flowing, everyone is bumping and grinding along with it.  Then, what you thought was the coat room suddenly comes alive with beautiful women peaking through the glass.  You can’t see much, but are immediately awestruck by their presence, commanding your attention and stirring your curiosity.  You want to see more and are soon rewarded as the dancers file out onto various sections of the dance floor.  You feel swept away by the wave of music created by the combination of club dance music and live African drumming.

Club Cielo is hosting the fabulous dance performance of “Terre” presented by POON Productions on select Sunday nights.  It’s a dazzling show of dancing and music that blossoms within a fun club atmosphere.  The dancers are powerful, executing the flashy choreography with style and finesse.  Through different styles of dance and accompanying costume changes, the dancers connect the audience with tribal rhythms and modern day entertainments. A drummer approaches the dancers who respond with Afro-Cuban dance moves, booty-popping, and grinding. 

Like young fashionistas, the dancers strut their svelte physiques in sheer fabric, then suddenly drop into a deep lounge.  Three females appear in their little black dresses, out for a night on the town.  They put on a display of modern-day, attract-a-mate behavior, sampling intoxicating beverages.  Soon the ladies are spilling liquids and dresses are coming off!  This segment is actually sexy, a sort of fantasy for bar onlookers, yet offers glimpses of how such stumbling drunk is an unattractive excess of such behavior.  Dancer Christina Johnson is particularly captivating; her focused stage presence is uninhibited by the close proximity of the audience. 

Though there is no set storyline, the dance numbers thread well one into another with the music, and, through shifting the performance space around, the staging provides creative advantage points for the audience within the club.  A few lucky audience members are pulled onto chairs and given lap dances adding to the excitement and interaction.  Every inch of space is utilized as dancers jump atop large box structures or climb poles. The pole dancing segment is impressive for its athleticism and refreshingly different from the stereotypical, oversexed stripping pole dances. 

Producers Jordana Che Toback and Tom Rossi combine their talents to create a wonderful blend of sensuous dance with powerful earth-moving music.  Director and Choreographer, Jordana Che Toback, does a fabulous job of creating a dance performance that is up close and personal, optimally filling the space as to create a very interactive experience.  The dancers are well-rehearsed, and are very coordinated together as not to be confused with the audience of club-going dancing people.  DJ MKL spins awesome dance music all night long, keeping the excitement and energy flowing straight through the performance.  Tom Rossi and Rich Stein add layers of percussion to accompany the dancing, bringing an intensity and sense of connection to the earth and our human ancestry. 

“Terre” is high-energy, super-sexy, and fun!  Taking its inspiration from the nightclub scene, it is perfect for the nightclub audience, yet highly crafted to meet the standards of concert dance aficionados.  Performances are scheduled twice in the evening, and the audience/club goers have the opportunity to explore the space with their own dancing before and afterwards, perhaps to even try some their moves on the poles!   

For more information, visit www.poonshow.com or www.clubcielo.com; tickets available at www.ticketcentral.com. Upcoming performances December 13, 2009.

www.cieloclub.com
18 Little West 12th St
New York, NY 10014
(212) 242-8539

iDANZ Critix Corner
Official Dance Review by Lea McGowan
Performance: POON Productions Presents Terre
Choreography: Jordana Che Toback
Venue: Cielo, New York City
Show Date: November 8, 2009
www.iDANZ.com

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