Dance Review: You’re in a Privileged Place, colectivodoszeta /carlos a. cruz velázquez at Joyce SoHo

Sometimes an audience needs to be told “You’re in a privileged place to learn a thing or two so keep your mouth shut and your eyes open,” which is exactly what happened on Thursday night at the Joyce SoHo when a booming voice echoed those words through the speakers.

Hailing from Mexico and New York, this week Carlos A. Cruz Velázquez’s company,  colectivodoszeta, adorns us with an evening of works, -some revivals, one new- and, of course, some surprises.

In Velázquez’s Purple Waves (…fading Red), Nobody, my eyes never left Velazquez and fellow dancer Christina Noel Reaves.  Clad in torn "I Love NY" t-shirts, sneakers and bike shorts Velazquez and Reaves aggressively sprint through the stage with chairs showing an intense draw and an intense aversion to each other bringing the audience members on a whirlwind tour of push and pull, love and hate and overall intensity.  As I read up on the piece, it only makes sense that this is about a relationship with a bipolar friend.  Their athletic movement that leaves them flying through the air at one moment and sometimes clutched in each others arms gasping for breath at the next and then back again wrestling in a duel that rivals a WWF match (whew…) is astounding!   A ridiculous mix of Unkle, Marilyn Manson, Madonna and others shows the choreographer’s ability to mix both sound and movement without letting either one overpower the other.

In Abandoned thoughts (as if…nothing/me against myself), we see Reaves again joined by Lori Byargeon and Clare Cook in a trio revived from 2007.  Dressed up in satin and lace the trio begins literally coming at the audience with a vibe so tongue-in-cheek you’d think they stepped right off of a carousel but forgot that it was gone.  Their costumes say innocence and cotton candy, but as the prancing trio begins to move into a series of playful spanks, growls, and hair tossing, you see that they are all having fun playing on stage.  The aggression from Nobody is revisited (which seems to be one of Velázquez’s themes), and the chairs are their again being thrown about like rag dolls.  Cook says that since the piece first originated, it’s been performed many times and grown as all three dancers have traveled down different career paths.  There is a fierce strength between the three that walks that line of sisters who wouldn’t be afraid to rip each other’s hair out but would kill someone else if they tried.

Like Nobody and Abandoned thoughts (as if…nothing/me against myself), Gone (…a scar and a feather) and On the minimum scent of…(time), are revived from 2008 and 2003, respectively.   Gone is a beautiful dance moving almost completely horizontally through the marley tapings and is only punctuated by sweeping falls on the diagonal.  I hear “Awesome!” as Yin Yue performs a short solo segment in the middle.  I think everyone in the audience agrees.  On the minimum scent of…(time), which is more of a performance art piece, starts with just Velázquez, some shoes, three chairs and a cupcake.  Though he soon brings up two somewhat hesitant audience members to share in the piece,  they seem much more at ease after he shares his cupcake with them.

Lastly, the only new piece of the night is Of shame and leaves (…or recipe to forget).  Breaking up the evenings overriding aggression, this radiant piece simply shows the audience a beautiful dance performed by beautiful dancers.  Simple is not bad here – the lack of props and with the whole company on stage, aside from Velázquez, the floor is a sea of bodies clad in flowing dresses and Max Richters’ score, so heartbreaking I couldn’t write anything down.  The dancers seem to pour their happiness out on the stage so much that it seeps up into the audience.  I can’t help but think what a gift it is to watch.

Velázquez and his dancers shine whether showcasing their technique, their aggression, or their most innovative way to roll themselves or a chair across the floor.  At the Joyce SoHo through Sunday…  Check them out!

Photography by Julieta Cervantes

iDANZ Critix Corner Official Dance Review by Eileen Elizabeth Performance:  colectivodoszeta Choreography:  Carlos A. Cruz Velázquez Venue: Joyce SoHo, New York City Performance Date:  September 17, 2009 www.iDANZ.com

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