Dance Review: The Artist’s Showcase presented by :pushing progress

April 3, 2009 by iDANZ Today
Filed under Concert Modern -Jazz-Contemporary, iDANZ Critix Corner -Dance Reviews, Reviews

Manhattan Movement and Arts Center is quickly becoming the new home of edgy, up and coming as well as established companies with large followings. This was clearly demonstrated by the length of the line that wound around the block on 60th street that was made up of people who wanted to see the show. Many people were turned away because of the quick sell out of this choreographer’s showcase. In fact, an announcement was made at the top of the show by the MC that if you are planning on coming to the May show (and, yes, there is a May show) you should go online and buy your tickets in advance in order to be one of the lucky people in a seat.

The theater at Manhattan Movement and Arts Center is a small black box theater with 160 ascending seats in the house (you can fit a few more on the sides if they are willing to stand, which quite a few were, a testament to the dedication of these fans). The size of the theater contributes to not only the feeling of being special that you actually got in, but also a feeling of intimacy that makes many of the pieces shine in the rapport that is developed between dancers and audience. This little black box fits just like a snug leather glove on all of the pieces presented tonight, tightly and with so much style.

One work that especially fits in this glove nicely is Dust and Water, choreographed by Jason Parsons. The soloist, Gina Pero, seems as if she is a housewife confined to a small space as she gasps whenever she thinks a thought that she shouldn’t be thinking. She covers her mouth and inhales sharply when she gasps as a result of a thought that scares her, a thought that is clearly expressed on her face before she gasps, a stunning expression of her emotional ability. Gina Pero is a dancer with incredible control in her emotional range and dance technique, which is put on display in the many positions that she pauses in at the point of gasp. At one point, she rolls on the floor as she backward somersaults, and when she gasps, she immediately stops the movement midway in a contraction, showing strength and timing. The music is Antony and the Johnsons, and the piece alternates between being danced to this music and being danced to silence. The moments of silence in the piece are very effective in allowing the audience to hear her every frightened gasp as she interchanges athletic movement with held positions. I hear the dozens of pictures being taken by the show’s photographer, Tiffany Tahan, something that emphasizes the picture perfectness of Gina and the many photo opportunities made possible by Jason Parson’s choreography. Parsons has the ability to inject into a dancer a vocabulary of extremely athletic movement that, at every millisecond, is picture perfect and worthy of being blown up on a billboard for millions to admire. The shapes that Parsons creates are unique and charged with resistance from fingertip to toe. Jason Parsons teaches an intense, addictive class at Steps on Broadway in addition to constantly being at the drawing board creating new work, something that has proven fruitful and impressive this evening.

Adhesion, a piece presented by Mark Stuart Dance Theatre, exemplifies the omnipotent sensuality that everyone has underneath their repressive shell. The shell, in this case, is represented by long black trench coats that later are discarded to reveal sexy tango style dresses. Sometimes, an instigator has to come along to remind you of your sensuality. The role of the instigator is played by a beautiful woman in a black tango dress talking on a cell phone. The roles that the others play while in their trench coats are angry people telling other to "watch out" as they bump into one another and rush through life with blinders on. The "cell phone sexy woman" inspires a new mood in which the crowd sheds the coats to reveal scanty dresses that prove useful when bumping into a sexy guy-by accident? I think not! Adhesion, by definition, is a "frictional grip" or the "sticking together of particles". As humans, we experience adhesion between all of us, whether we like it or not. From a sensual perspective, adhesion is either physically enjoyable, as two humans adhere as closely to one another as possible (unless two cells are actually fusing, but lets not get too scientific) or totally un-enjoyable as we bump into one another like bumper cars as we attempt to go about and do our business, thinking that we are having an "alone day" but experiencing the obstacles that human adhesion brings to the table. Mark Stuart Eckstein accurately portrays both the good and the bad adhesion that exists amongst the human race from the "bumper car" scene at the beginning to the sensual partnering between male and female. All of the dancers in this company are stunningly beautiful people as well as dancers. The short dresses show off how muscular and expressive the women’s’ legs are all the way up to the hip bone and show how each sinew is working to execute proper technique. I have never seen lifts that actually make my heart stop. There is one lift where the men throw the women in the air so that they spin 360 degrees while the length of their bodies is totally parallel to the floor…get the picture? Seemingly impossible, right? Well, check out their next performance so that you can see these gravity defying and seemingly humanly impossible lifts for yourself-www.markstuarteckstein.com. The cast of the angry people who transition into sensual beings are played and danced by Adealani Malia, Anna Kaiser, Carlos Sierra-Lopez, Drew Heflin, Grady Bowman, Jenny Parsinen, Keith Kuhl, Matthew Steffens, Michelle Marmolejo, Mindy Wallace, Sarah O’Gleby and Tiger Martina.

Bravo to Slam for his creative work entitled 11:11, a time that numerologists believe is linked to chance, coincidence and synchronicity. Slam brings to the stage four chairs, four long ponytail extensions and four long, flowing black skirts that are all attached to four female bodies, Ashley Becker, Mary Glackmeyer, Stephanie Kaiser and Mia Aiko Yamada. This piece is truly a beacon of synchronicity with the impeccable timing and choreography that includes beautiful, unique still images of women, hair and skirts as they all dance with the four chairs. They are so together that at any moment, a photographer could take a snapshot, and the resulting picture would be four dancers with their hair and skirts in the exact same position in the air. Salim "Slam" Gauwloos shows the audience how an emotion that starts at the core of the human body can be even more resonant when putting material extensions on the emotion such as a long black skirt or long ponytail weave that dances and emotes in waves with the dancer. It is as if the emotion grows in its depth as it makes its way out to these material extremities. The material that moves through the air as a result of human body movement becomes an extension of the person and is only as passionate and expressive as the person attached to them is. His choice of using long ponytail extensions and long black skirts is analogous to the many times in life that we only communicate with the world through our material possessions. Even more poignant is the visual treat of Slam’s choreography, which all starts in a very internal place before becoming more and more powerful like an earthquake as it works its way out toward the human extremities, and now is even more powerful as it continues to work its way out for a fraction of a second longer through the hair and skirts. It is gorgeous. The dancers are skilled in the use of the skirts and the hair. When fan kicking over the chair, they all do so at the exact same height and with the same velocity so that the skirt creates the same shape over each chair, making this particular picture even more effective. As they undulate their bodies, they do so with just enough resistance to make their skirts and their hair create a very beautiful, symmetrical picture. There is a mourning that’s apparent throughout the piece, a feeling that starts in the expressive eyes and bodies of the dancers and then goes on to live in the extremities of the skirt and hair. The choice of all black costumes and chairs is very effective against the light grey marley floor and contributes to a dark mourning feel. Costumes are by Candela NYC and the haunting music is mixed and edited by Facundo Gabba. Forevermore, I am willing to be taken into Slam’s world of story and dance.

Chris Hale presents a trio of three fantastically technical and emotionally capable dancers called Escape! set to the music of Michael Riesman. Mr. Hale has a way of setting choreography on these beautiful dancers, Daniela Filippone, Jen Queliz and Karen Weil, that is very unique and unusual, but looks as natural and organic as if the dancers have been doing this their whole lives. For example, the dancers execute an illusion jump into a turn flawlessly without a wobble or strain. All of three girls have fierce extensions (especially to the side) and beautiful feet. It seems as if feet that bend in half is one of the themes of the evening…not a bad one! Although there are only three dancers on stage, the choreography has a way of making it seem like you are watching a large production piece with many dancers because of the way the piece uses depth and width, making the piece very whole and three dimensional. At one point, the dancers take up the entire stage, and perform solos, each solo catching a certain nuance in the music, making all of the notes and percussion in the music not just heard but seen alive and dancing on stage. Check out Chris Hale’s dance reel here.

The Next Stage Project presents a piece choreographed by the artistic directors of the company, Jana Hicks and Marijke Eliasberg. This piece shines as brightly as the sun when it comes out after it rains, a concept that is touched on in this excerpt called Weather Report. Some dancers begin sitting on the stage, back facing the audience as they hold their knees. A carrier of a watering can comes to the person sitting still and waters that person. Gradually, this person comes to life and begins to dance with so much joy it is as if it’s the first time that they have ever danced or seen life. Every first movement is like a stretch from being cooped up in that balled up position for too long. When the leg extends to the side, the leg reaches out and stretches to the max before moving on to the next position. It is as if the audience is witnessing photosynthesis happening in each dancer’s body. The dancer is a plant that needs water, but most importantly, needs sunlight to live. Most of the music is a soundtrack of rain and storms in the beginning, but when there is a pause in the music, I see the dancers reacting to a sun and thriving as they reach out with all of their limbs and dance with joy. There is a phrase in which one dancer positions their arms in a very wide first position, and another dancer swerves down and then up inside the circle that the the dancer has created as if this circle is full of life and provides relief and safety to the living organism. Relief and happiness is written all over the dancers’ movements when they arrive inside this circle as if they are experiencing a loving hug. Jana Hicks and Marijke Eliasberg prove to be queens of organic movement and unique concepts portrayed by strong, expressive dancers. The dancers in this piece are Paige Constable, Marijke Eliasberg, Jana Hicks, Emme Hoette, Bobbie Marchand, Barbara Russo and Akiko Tomokawa. Music is by Soundscape-AST and the costumes are by TNSP.

The company that creates an opportunity for all of these talented companies to perform at Manhattan Movement and Arts Center this evening is :pushing progress founded by choreographer, Calen J. Kurka. :pushing progress closes Act I of the show with an excerpt entitled timepasschange. This is actually an "unfinished excerpt" as is stated in the program, but what I see is a seed that definitely has fully taken root, blessed with complex traits and unique movement ideas, that hasn’t finished growing into a plant yet. (I couldn’t seem to get plants out of my mind following Weather Report). Once this piece is finished (or fully grown), I will rush to get a ticket to see the full length version of timepasschange. What really strikes me about this piece is the companionship that links all of the dancers together. The companionship is choreographed into the piece by Mr. Kurka, but only a small amount of this can just be danced, the remaining part must be an interconnected feeling that the dancers truly do feel between one another and project as they dance. They succeed in bringing so much reality to their projection of companionship to the point that it brings tears to my eyes. There is an innocence in their movement and in their dress. The women wear all white spring dresses and the one male wears an all white shirt and pants. The music speaks of how "everything has changed" from what it used to be. The dancers appear to be college students visiting home to see their old friends for the first time after a year and realizing that everything is not how they remembered it to be. There is a tackle type movement where one dancer runs up to another from offstage left, side-swiping the victim and resulting in bringing the other to the ground. Both land on their sides, a movement that in football would result in a crash landing after so much brute force has been projected, but their landing is as soft as the costumes they are wearing. At different points in the dance, a dancer sits down next to a friend in a hunched and vulnerable position, as they talk to the person next to them. The person who is doing the talking speaks the words with exaggerated mouth movements, which is very effective in making this action register clearly with the audience. The person doing the listening listens with intent, and even though the body isn’t moving, I can see the emotion stirring within. Another striking movement phrase is the finishing of a phrase in a hug in which the "hugger" is raised off of the ground. This position is held for just enough time for the audience to fully absorb just how mesmerizing the image that’s created here is as they allow the audience to bask in the glow of a satisfying hug with the dancers. timepasschange basks in the glow of reunited friendships and old homes, something that we can all relate to. The feeling of companionship and commitment to each other is so strong within the choreography and the dancers’ performance that I can’t see this bond ever being non-existent within :pushing progress. Music is by William Fitzsimmons and Richard Walters, and the dancers are Jen Queliz, Sean Gannon, Jen Lancaster, Emily Martin, Maya Escueta, Kara Pendlebury, Daniela Filippone and Kathy VanDereedt.

Act II explodes into existence like a big bang with The Concert Series: Act I choreographed by Luam and danced by Jimmy Manners, Daisha Graf, Mikey Martinez, Hollywood, Maria Wada, Torey Nelson, Stephanie Laughlin, Alison Barnes and Ksyn Cason. Luam takes the dancers out of the cliché of being back-up or background dancers and makes them all stars, giving them microphones and hotter than hot costumes. Granted, the microphones aren’t real microphones, and they are just lip-syncing the words, but it makes you look at these dancers in a new light. The piece opens with all of the girls dressed to the nines with black jackets and black sequins just barely showing below the lower hemline of the jacket, hinting that there are sexy costumes and some fierce "black sequin worthy" dancing to be seen later on. There is one dancer in the center of the ladies who has a microphone and sings with feeling. Everything from her big hair to the way that she walks emits sass and confidence. The men make their debut as they run on stage with sirens blaring on the speakers and flaunt black jackets, black knit caps and sagging jeans (so saggy that I see some Calvin Kleins sticking out the back-not such a bad sight). Each of these men are masculine and confident in their dancing and physical presence, which make them very entertaining to watch. Each one of them portray the character of a pop star at this point in the dance. Later on when each one of them has hand held microphones, they go out to the front row of the audience as they choose one lucky person to croon to and dance with (I was one of those lucky people-I made sure to raise the roof a little with my hands in response!). The men all are sharp and clean in their choreography and are very sexy in the way that they put a layer of strong testosterone on every movement. The girls return to the stage with their black sequin short dresses on. Luam puts choreography on these dancers that is confidently feminine in its cleverness. She is clever in the way that she fuses jazz and hip hop with theatre and makes sure that it all has a contemporary, hip flavor that resonates with everyone nodding their head to the music in the audience, something that I witness happening around me throughout the entire piece. Luam truly lives in the top tessitura of the most entertaining choreographers and performers.

Val "MS VEE" Ho dances a lone hip hop dance to Capitulate with rhythms so powerful that they are contagious and make you twitch to the beats that she decides to accent in the music. Not only is MS VEE a magnetic performer, but she is also the creator of this vibrant piece (along with assistant choreographer Suzanne Vogel). MS VEE has an amazing stage presence on top of her excellent mastery of movement, which include expert popping and locking skills that are much to be admired. MS VEE has a face that is so open and expressive, she seems to be inviting you onstage with every move. Plus, she makes it look so fun and effortless, which is not an easy task considering the intricate isolations that are constantly pulsating throughout her body. At one point, she runs to the front row of people and gives a high five to the woman next to me, who I notice out if my periphery is smiling and chuckling throughout the rest of the piece. MS VEE dances rapturously through three songs, Goin Down, Jungle Boogie, and Hot Music. After witnessing this, MS VEE has proven that she devoutly follows the slogan printed on her colorful t-shirt, "Too Legit to Quit."

Ginger Cox shows a sensual side all dressed up in red in Shed (Section 1) danced to music by EOH. A small white table is used as an anchor for many of the movements as the dancers lean and crawl on the table and move it around to different territories on stage. The females become territorial and start to fight over the table, an argument that is resolved quickly as they decide both to crawl on the table. Fierce high á la seconde lifted straight from tendu á la seconde are repeated over and over again as the dancers face upstage, giving the audience a full view of their technique being executed properly (it is easy to see if a hip is raised from the derrière perspective). The red velvet skirts have a high slit up the sides, making every movement in the dance even more sensual. Shed is a wonderful example of Link! The Movement‘s pleasing fusion of theatrics, ballet and contemporary. Ginger Cox explores movement in an unpredictable way especially noticeable in the dancers transitions. She chooses strong dancers who are capable of sustaining movement so that the difficult steps are made to look easy, and the transitions are flawless. You will see what I mean by unpredictable phrasing and flawless transitions in this clip. Dancing in LiNK! the Movement this evening is Hyosun Choi, Adriana Falcon, Elisabeth Rainer, Shauna Sorenson and Yeon Seon Yoo.

Loaded Gun, choreographed by Jacki Ford, is also danced by Jacki Ford along with Melinda Farrell and Joey Dowling. This Billy May tune grabs the audience’s attention from the moment it first "pows" in your face with its first explosion of horns. Three dancers couldn’t have been paired together more perfectly. All three are blessed with the following at strategic moments in the choreography: no hips and vavoom hips. They have "no hips" when they kick their faces without an effort in the world as if they actually don’t have hips when they are in "kick your face mode" whether it be to the front, to the side or in layout position. Then, their hips are magically put back into place when they start isolating those hips…vavoom…vavoom…vavoom…think "Walk it Out", and you are on the right track visually. Fosse must have been dancing in his grave on Sunday night because these three dancers live like stars in their Fosse style and costuming. They wear black long sleeved leotards, black LaDuca character boots (making those longer than life legs look even longer and more fierce with cashew feet on the end), all hairs on the head slicked back in a low ponytail and florescent pink gloves. The dynamic range of the choreography is vast, going from a small hand movement to a pelvic thrust with such force it could move a mountain (almost). The slow triple pirouette with a controlled battement out of it, without a hop from any of the girls, is a perfect example of their impeccable technique with timing that makes the movement so clean that it is absolutely jaw-dropping. Jacki Ford’s experience as a Rockette and theatre veteran shines through in her choreography, and I can see why she is in such demand as a teacher.

Brice Mousset, another in demand teacher here in the states and around the world, brings "W" to the stage. Mr. Mousset’s choreography is extremely versatile in the way it goes from totally organic smooth modern movement to sharp cutting movements in just an instant. The music, "Hiding It" by Gustavo Santaollala and "Metric" by Orchestra of Bubbles, is unique, and these interesting choices lend well to the constant dynamic fluctuation in Mr. Mousset’s choreography, both contrasting one another. Brice Mousset lures you into his world of motion that is oozing with story and strength. I find myself enthralled with this piece from the first moment the dancers step foot on stage, each dancer dressed in a different outfit, but all costumes reflecting the common color theme of drab grays and browns. The title of "W" is an enigma at first, but after watching these fierce women grace the stage with their strength, passion and skill, what else could W represent besides women with a capital W. These girls all have incredible upper body strength that they aggressively make a spectacle of in the jumps and twirls in the air that are followed immediately by shoulder stands on the ground, a position that is held far longer than one would expect after what the dancers just executed before this frozen position. The company dancers have a way of expressing story with their face and body that matches the level of the choreographer’s capability of expressing story with the movement. These women express compassionate and supportive sisterhood through the partnering and also go through troubled emotions of being alone when dancing a solo. "W" closes the show giving me a feeling of empowerment and inspiration. Thank you to the following dancers for such a powerful performance: Melodie Casta, Meghan Daly, Leila Dilmaghani, Karina Lesko, Natalie Ortiz and Sandra Passirani. For more information on Brice Mousset, his company and his classes, visit his website at www.bricemousset.com.

The Artists Showcase is only made possible by :pushing progress with Artistic Director, Calen J. Kurka. This company has done a wonderful job of putting together a show that ranks very high on the "dance show richter scale." I would say they get a 9…only because a 10 has never been recorded on the richter. Oh, and by ranking high on the richter scale, I don’t mean extremely devastating, I mean across the board excellence including top notch choreography, star quality dancers and a cornucopia of styles and messages to be shared with other dancers and audience members. The next Showcase Series, The Choreography Showcase, will be presented on May 10th at Manhattan Movement and Arts Center. Go to www.pushingprogress.com to get your tickets now to the next installment of this collection of gems…that is, unless you want to be the 72nd person in a line winding out of the venue and onto West 60th Street only to be told that the show has been sold out!

Photography by Nick Perry (M. Stuart Dance Theatre/Adhesion)
Photography by Tiffany Tahan (:pushing progress/timepasschange, Chris Hale/Escape!)
Photography by Dayna Camp (Jason Parsons/Dust and Water, Link! The Movement/Shed, Slam/11:11)

iDANZ Critix Corner
Official Dance Review by Adrienne Jean Fisher
Performance: :pushing progress presents The Artist Showcase
Choreographers: Mark Stuart Eckstein, Slam, Chris Hale, Jana Hicks, Marijke Eliasberg, Jason Parsons, Calen J. Kurka, Jacki Ford, Ginger Cox, MS VEE, Luam and Brice Mousset
Venue: Manhattan Movement and Arts Center
Performance Date: Sunday, March 29, 2009, 7:00pm
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