Symphony Space hosts Long Island University Dancers
April 30, 2009 by iDANZ Today
Filed under Concert Modern -Jazz-Contemporary, iDANZ Critix Corner -Dance Reviews
The Post Concert Dance Company showcased six pieces, flaunting 14 of their dance majors with new and even revisited choreography. All of the dancers were seen more than once, some doing some backstage acrobatics to magically change costume and perform two lengthy pieces in a row! That is an impressive feat in itself… not to mention actually dancing 30 minutes of straight athletic choreography. The five pieces were as follows:
Here and There, Choreography: Karen Burns Music: Yann Piersen
Here and There was exactly that for me… I’m sorry to admit. The three female dancers took the stage clad in pointe class attire – solid leotards, black tights overtop of leotard (not my favorite for a performance), traditional buns, and pointe shoes. These faux ballerinas sometimes struggled through the choreography as if they were desperately chasing each coming step, and barely catching them. However, the dance did embody some lovely emotional moments, well-acted by senior Andrea Ude and male dancer David Hoffmann. Burns’ choreography has potential and needs to be set on more advanced ballet dancers. I found myself holding my breath in hopes that the dancers would not fall off pointe during single pirouettes, and wishing for lots more turnout. Unfortunately, the dancers’ need for mastery of ballet technique overshadowed any artistry of the piece, as I actually felt nervous for the dancers, their facial expressions drenched in deep concentration.
A Woman Scorned… Finding Self, Reconnecting with Friends Choreography: Karen Arceneaux Dancers: Gina Allis, Ashley Henry, Casey Dawson, Allyson Reigstad, Sarah Nowaski, Pei-Chun Chiu, Kristen Lenihan, Cassandra J. Jackman
Arceneaux’s work is meant to show a woman’s process of dealing with a painful break-up, and how the woman works through it with the help of her friends. She celebrates being a woman with fellow women, swinging her hips confidently throughout the piece. In three parts, “Bitter”, “Solace”, and “Composed”… we watch the journey. Cassandra J. Jackman, the soloist, is the shining light of this entire piece. Her entrancing movement is fluid, strong, connected, and technically sound. Her oozing pride and confidence in being a curvy woman of color makes her an utter joy to watch. Her star quality amongst the other dancers makes it difficult to watch anyone but her. It would have been refreshing to see the other dancers emote a little more genuinely and connect to one another more, really embracing the true meaning of friendship and dancing, rather than just performing jazz choreography together.
Cuentos del Popol Vuh (Stories from the Popol Vuh) Choreography: Helen Myers Music: Anneliese Weibel, Dancers: Amanda Allyne, Amanda Burden, Kerrianne Cody, Ashley A. Pierce, Megan Raiano
This modern piece is very interesting and defines MODERN, a quirky bedtime story. Complete with animal gestures such as tongue flicking, tiger crawling, bizarre lifts, leap frog games, and birdlike hand motions, Myers hits this one out of the park, bringing us into a head-tilting whimsical world of Mayan mythical creatures… giving us a key into the magic of the over and underworlds. The white flowing costumes created an interesting dream-like heightened reality, although the design didn’t flatter all body types in the group. The climax was the ending tableau formed by the company with one dancer kneeling on another’s shoulders!
Pilobolus: Ciona (1973), Choreography: Robby Barnett, Alison Chase, Martha Clarke, Moses Pendleton, Michael Tracy, Jonathan Wolken (Pilobolus Dance Theatre). Staging: Adam Battelstein and Renee Jaworski, asst. Angie Schneider. Dancers: Gina Allis, Pei-Chun Chiu, Kerrianne Cody, Christine Guglia, David Hoffman
Definitely the powerhouse performance of the night, Ciona grabs our attention and keeps hold of it for the length of the entire piece. The shapes these dancers are able to create, along with the strength they exhibit in order to master some difficult lifts, are truly amazing. It’s a mystery…. are the dancers defying physics or defining it!? Dancers flipping over one another, standing on top of each other, pushing, pulling, throwing, catching, stretching, bending, balancing… up, down, and inside out. The folks at Pilobolus are truly remarkable. The unitards used for the piece focus your attention on the awesome shapes and formations, but also distract because of the range of body types. One might consider this detail enticing or particularly beautiful… the fact that there were so many different body types all portraying the shapes we make as human beings connecting to one another. Great strength, flexibility, and control were proudly displayed by these dancers! Well done. There’s no denying that this is classic choreography. Great choice of a throwback!
Shedding, Choreography: Khaleah London. Music: As the Earth, by N8. Dancers: Amanda Allyne, Kerriane Cody, Cassandra J. Jackman, Fumi Osogami, Allyson Reigstad
Shedding is a dance from the perspective of witnessing the process of five human beings, from diverse backgrounds and different walks of life, experiencing a shift in human consciousness. It was a solid modern routine, packed with lots of juicy choreography… but it got a bit redundant by the end. It did showcase the dancers well and the costumes were very flattering. London incorporates lots of flowing movements and revisits patterns with intricate layering.
Short Stories (excerpts) Choreography: Kanji Segawa. Dancers: Gina Allis, Amanda Burden, Pei-Chun Chiu, Casey Dawson, Christine Guglia, Ashley Henry, Kristen Lenihan, Cailin Murtha, Sarah Nowaski, Fumi Osogami, Megan Raiano, Allyson Reigstad, Andrea Ude
I loved this piece, and my only complaint was that it wasn’t longer! Mixing jazz with contemporary and a hint of modern, Segawa sends the dancers roaring across the stage with fast-paced patterns and individually unique costumes themed in grays and navy blue. Some sported jeans or sweatpants while others wore sundresses, shorts, and leggings. I especially loved the dramatic ending – two vertical lines of dancers on their knees throw their hands in the air while the feature, Amanda Burden, bursts center upstage.
Overall, the show was well-put together and the hard work was evident… although some products turned out far better than others. Much of the audience cheered loudly after, and sometimes even during the pieces, proving that the Post Concert Dance Company definitely has one thing in abundance, loving and supportive family and friends.
iDANZ CRITIX CORNER
Official Dance Review by: Sheena DiMatteo
Performance: Post Concert Dance Company, Choreographer’s Showcase 2009 Choreography: Karen Burns, Karen Arceneaux, Helen Myers, Pilobolus, Khaleah London, Kanji Segawa Venue: Peter Norton Symphony Space Performance Date: Monday, April 27, 2009
