The show opens with video footage of hip hop dance dignitary Ken Swift, of course, and each dancer is posed on a wooden panel, which the dancers manipulate throughout the show, creating interesting and clever scenery and scenarios.  What an excellent usage of props, as I almost forget that the only thing on the stage is the dancers and the panels… 

The show progresses into the dancers explaining to the audience how it felt when they first saw Ken Swift dance.  At this time, a very interesting part of the show emerges as the dancers view footage of Swift along with the audience, and then stop the tape to execute signature moves or steps that Swift originated.  There are very informative parts of the show that I appreciated as it isn’t a show that "pimps" the art of break dancing as most mainstream and many other shows do.  It’s way more than that…  It’s an exceptional, comprehensive work that isn’t necessarily about the obvious tricks that anyone can identify, but about the art of break dancing and its many components.  

At one point, it is stated "to be a good b-boy or b-girl, you gotta have footwork."   I want to yell out "THANK YOU!" because there are so many intricacies and nuances to break that so often, unfortunately, these skills get overlooked for power moves.  The dancers swivel, roll, dove, spun, and sort of tease the audience because they obviously are powerhouses.  Their individual personalities and passions are also interwoven into the show as they explain to the audience what inspires them to break. 

Ken Swift Solos represents not only a show honoring a legend but, one that informs about and honors an art form.

Photography by Yi-Chun Wu

iDANZ Critix Corner
Official Dance Review by JoiLynn
Performance:  olive Dance Theatre
Venue:  Hip Hop Theater Festival @Dance Theatre Workshop
Show Date:  Saturday, October 2, 2010
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Urban Bush Women presents an insightful evening of celebration at New York City’s Dance Theater Workshop entitled Zollar: Uncensored…  Jawole’s unapologetically raw interpretation of the beauty and strength of womanhood. 

The show begins with Jawole herself standing in a pool of light and continues on with song.  The entire show is narrated by the voices of Somi, Pyeng Threadgill, and once again, Jawole herself, who sing folkloric music, traditional to the different places of the African Diaspora, fused with a more “jazz-like” sound and African American Spiritual.  With accompaniment by percussionist, Beverly Botsford, the movement also fuses these traditions with a touch of modern dance, characteristic of Jawole’s movement style.

The first major dance section gives an interesting perspective on each women’s experience as the dancers go in-and-out of hip gyrations, applying lipstick and seeming to be in their own inner worlds of turmoil.  It is a happy experience at times and painfully complicated at others.  The feelings in this section expresses mixtures of eroticism, pain, pleasure, joyfulness, and pride…  The dancers are at all moments comfortable in their own skin, even in a later section where they actually vocalize "orgasmic" sensations but from different experiences. One dancer even screams in pleasure as she actually eats a cupcake on stage!

The show continues on the ride through sections where the dancers celebrate and get down by “shaking what they mama gave them,” to where they literally are chanting to each other on stage, to more emotional sections where a dancer performs an amazing solo completely naked.  She is led on the stage by Jawole and a poem which describes her story full of abuse and disregard because she is a woman.  I am a bit frustrated because the program does not specify who the soloists are, but I soon forget as I watch the “unidentified" dancer throw her body onto the ground repeatedly, rolling around and thrashing in pain with control that is only characteristic of a strong and well-centered dancer.  She is more than comfortable with herself and her nudity which is also an admirable thing both as a dancer, for her commitment to telling a story through her art, and as a women, who is comfortable in her skin and who fights against all the assumptions and negativity that is based on body image in the dance world.  All of Jawole’s dancers are strong, technical, and represent the beauty that the feminine body has to offer which is often oppressed in the dance world.  (That’s a whole other discussion..lol)  Why do dancers hate these things?  Hips, thighs, breasts, hey… that’s a part of womanhood…  A great thing to see on stage!!  Love it!

After the soloist fights she is saved by the other dancers who swirl around her and actually dress her on stage.  They end up dancing together celebrating the power that faith and spiritual guides give us to overcome.

iDANZ Critix Corner
Official Dance Review by JoiLynn
Choreographer:  Jawole Willa Jo Zollar
Performance:  Urban Bush Women
Venue:  Dance Theater Workshop, DTW
Show Date:  January 20, 2010
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As I walk into the Joyce SoHo the stage is already preset sparking my interest as to what is about to come.  A chair, a hanging dress and hat, a projection screen, and a coat stand with various coats and hats hang upon it.  Hmmmm.  I wonder…  I also notice panels on the ground and wonder what they are for. The lights go down and Thomas DeFrantz walks out and takes his position.

The scenery is funky. Through tap dance and an occasional passé or battement, DeFrantz expresses a period where Monk is frustrated from being “passed over” for young musicians as well as an artistic love for his muse, Billy Holiday. DeFrantz approaches a picture of Holiday and “plucks” a gardenia from her picture in reference. 

At another point, he shows Monk’s admiration for his wife in a very creative way by picking up a dress hanging in the background and begins to do a sort of abstract ballroom dance with the dress occasionally throwing in a shuffle or two.  For a one man show, this sequence is a very creative and interactive way to show love for a woman. 

Delightfully imaginative, we see monk dance happily around his apartment as a “parade of musicians.”   At other times, DeFrantz exhibits unhappiness and sits depressed in his chair.  Overall, the piece creates an emotional aftertaste that leaves the audience with the spirit of Monk.  And, for those who don’t know about the man, you need to get on it!

The most intriguing part of the piece and focus of the work is the technology used.  At various points in the evening DeFrantz interplays with projection and music creating a composition that is unique to every evening of performance. Each panel triggers a prerecorded visual and/or audio sequence that DeFrantz is in control.  The panels are connected to a laptop where Eto Oro, the media artist who collaborated with Defrantz on this project, monitors the media and only interacts if there is glitch. 

The technology platform is created through a program at Massachusetts Institute of Technology that DeFrantz created called SLIPPAGE: Performance|Culture|Technology.  This collective’s goal at M.I.T. is to “stage alternative histories of race, sexuality, gender, performance, and technology.” What an innovative idea! 

In a post performance discussion DeFrantz expresses the purpose of the project and his hopes that other performers will be inspired to use the platform that he has created. This project seems very promising and is an important new addition to the history of dance and performance in general.

iDANZ Critix Corner
Official Dance Review by JoiLynn 
Performance: Monk’s Mood
Choreographer:  Thomas DeFrantz
Venue: Joyce SoHo, New York City, NY
Date: December 11th, 2009
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"Freestyle is the art of self discovery. Breaking away from imitating to

One of my favorite sections, Once Upon a Time, led by Lindsey "OUTTHERE" Blaufarb, mimics a circular assembly line as dancers representing different robots move around the line and manipulate her.  We see a lot of "roboting" and mannequin in hip-hop, as it is a derivative of styles that came out of poppin’; I particularly enjoy this section for it cleverly mixes this style with a thematic presentation.  OUTTHERE just "kills" her isolations with such exciting intricacies in the choreography…  She’s amazing!  Kudos also go out to stand-out, John “JROCK” Nelson, who delivers some of the sickest robotic moves in the business.  Holla!

Lunch Break takes place when one of the dancers in the story is faced with finding a job, and facing the realities of the obstacles standing in the way of his dance career.  The dancer/actors manipulate boxes around, throwing and spinning them until the “boss” comes in (played comically divine by Richard "STEELO" Vazquez)…  causing them to quickly stop dancing and get back to work.  The actors do a hilarious job!  Whoever said dancers can’t act?  Finally, the boss joins in and a "breakin’ fest" begins.  Hot!

Another scene, entitled The Audition captures “a dancer audition” on-the-nose …and often when everybody laughs, I think to myself, "They don’t even know the half of it!”  The characters at the audition are a "girly girl" or "strip-hop" dancer, a musical theatre or jazz dancer ridiculed for being at a hip hop audition, and a girl who hits the movement too hard… a hilarious realistic touch!  Mistakes are even choreographed into each dancer’s act, a small detail that probably is unnoticed to the untrained eye!

Other stand-outs to this production is Julie "LADY JULES" Urich, who is one of the illest b-girls on the scene, and Daniel “CLOUD” Campos.  Lady Jules’ skills are really incredible; no doubt, she is strong and really has that "power freestyle" to hit her moves head-to- head to even to the best b-boy on the block.  She is so good that I would have loved to see her even more featured in the show.  Cloud (one of the leads in the show), quite simply, is the "The Truth."  His skills are MAJOR.  He flips, then hits,… goes from smooth, a slide, a turn, a jump tour, then a freeze without blinking.  In other scenes, he has a brilliant ability to put "presence" into the contemplative, more silent moments opening the audience to connect with his story with sincerity.  When Cloud dances, there is a glow literally around his body that excites the audience no matter what he does.  Only a true artist has that glow.  He’s a gift to the hip hop/freestyle world.

Amongst all the dancers, one of the most genuine and inspiring dancers to watch drop his grooves is Steven "Boogieman" Stanton.  He moves like butta and takes his time. His hits are nothing less than crystal clarity and definitely his presence and style show a link to old school hip hop in its purest form.  I do have to commend Steven "Boogieman" Stanton for rockin’ the entire show with a walking cane to support his leg trauma from a spinal cord injury!  Yes, the entire show!  That’s commitment, ya’ll… That is enough to teach all of us dancers to shut up and stop complaining!

It’s no surprise that these dancers have worked professionally in L.A., as they dominate the balance between entertaining and playing characters.  Although the show is very dynamic, I would have liked to see more originality and risk in the thematic ways that the story is told.  For Hip Hop Dance to break into the world of touring conceptual shows, more depth and range of aesthetic and perception needs to be coupled with those neck-breaking head-spins.  Can anyone say back flips landing on the elbows?  (Ouch!) Ivan Velez (aka Flipz) even flips off the back balcony – at least 8 feet high! 

All in all, if you want to see illest, most wicked skills of some of the best freestyle b-girls and b-boys on the planet, go see the Groovaloos.  Groovaloo is hot show, and an excellent step forward in hip hop and break dancing on the world stage.

Groovaloo runs December 1, 2009 through January 3, 2010 at Union Square Theatre, New York City.

iDANZ Critix Corner
Official Dance Review by JoiLynn
Editorial Contributions by Candice Rox and Sheena DiMatteo
Performance: Groovaloo
Venue: The Joyce Theater  New York City
Date: Tuesday, September 15th, 2009
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If you are in that camp that only wants to see super-human trinas with well-toned, to-die-for bodies, crazy extensions, and legs for days, then Complexions is the dance company to see.  For their 15th anniversary season at The Joyce Theater, Complexions presents four brand new works.  Tonight, I get the chance to witness two of them.

The evening begins with a piece called Dirty Wire choreographed by Co-Artistic Director, Dwight Rhoden, of course.  The piece starts with dancers standing in a straight vertical line in a pool of light shining from above.  The dancers burst out from the line, dancing to rock music in movement that is very signature "Rhoden" -very technical yet fluid combinations of lifts, 180 degree penchés, and perfect splits.  This piece is a series of intricate duets showcasing Rhoden’s complex movement style that I can’t take my eye’s off because the movement demands that you look, and, essentially, study it so that you know exactly what’s going on.  In general, all of the couples are well-connected to each other, flawlessly working in, out, and around each other’s bodies as if they are one person.  I am drawn to Christie Partelow and Edgar Anido’s movement as they prove to be a very daring couple, trusting their entire being into each other’s hands.  I thought to myself, "man, if they mess up, they are really gonna fall on each other!"  Amazing…  It is this sort of edge that I am loving.

For Dirty Wire, I am captivated as I am often when looking at Rhoden’s movement, but eventually my eyes grow accustomed to his vocabulary.  To my reluctant dismay, the entire piece morphs into a series of duets that begin to look the same as technique overshadows any individuality and movement becomes almost predictable because the piece has the same formula throughout making me only wonder why, why, why…  What is this piece really all about?   As a reviewer, I choose not to look at program descriptions before I begin to view a piece; I try to feel what the choreographer is saying without any preconceived notions by solely looking at the material presented in front of me.  However, because the movement rides on top of the music (and not truly "in" the music), and only at times hits certain accents that the music demands, and does not develop any ideas beyond the movement vocabulary itself, it leaves me confused.   Watching these gorgeous dancers, though, is truly inspiring; everyone is ecstatic at the end, as I am too, but I am left wondering if I am the only one searching for some answers (maybe not, though, for I do hear people around me flipping through pages of the program most likely to find some sort of piece description).

Opening the second half of the show is a piece called Mercy, also choreographed by Rhoden.  The dancers perform only the first and second movement (as the piece is a saga in it’s entirety).  The piece is danced to a medley of mixed sanctuary; Muslim prayers and church hymns are performed over each other in a interesting, funky mix.  The music is comprised of a number of artists including Phil Kline, Michael Murray, Steve Reich, Mendelssohn, and Hans Zimmer.  At first, I begin to think that I don’t see much difference in this piece than the first one as the movement is all very signature.  However, the piece eventually breaks out of the mold as dancers fan in and out, asking for "mercy," emerging from curtains from the back of the stage adding a great touch.

Complexions is full of VERY talented, uber-technical performers, but, because Mercy has more of a "contemporary edge," it is this piece where I begin to see the difference in performance qualities of the dancers.   Some of the dancers, mostly the females,  I frankly just don’t "believe."  Although their technique is nearly flawless, I leave this piece longing to see more connection in their faces and intention within their artistry.  I am also bothered at some points as the dancers don’t really stay together in some of the movement.  As far as the males, they kick “you know what” in this piece, jumping up and down with hands in prayer position, falling into second position splits, and rolling over the shoulder all over the stage.  Athleticism?  …Yes!  …The intention? …Well, interpretable.  It is awesome, however, to see Desmond Richardson emerge from the curtain (one of the finest, most talented dance artist alive today) as he does a remarkable job (showing us dancers how it’s done) wrapping intention, emotion, and technique in one performance.  Solo dancer, Gary W. Jeter II, also grabs my eye with his committed performance and fierce attack.  This rather lengthy piece ends with a section performed to "Amazing Grace" which, again, is another place where I don’t "believe," and I feel this cast of dancers’ disconnection from the work bothersome as they lip sync some of the words. 

Overall, Complexions has acquired a solid bunch of dancers who are really at the top of their game.  The dancers’ technique is highly inspiring and the choreography is definitely a demanding challenge for any world class dancer to want to master.  I am looking forward to the day that they find that happy medium, that performance optimum that merges flawless technique with human connection.  For if collectively they can perform their passion anywhere close to their co-founder, Desmond Richardson, I know, as a company, they will go far… real far.

iDANZ Critix Corner
Official Dance Review by Joi Lynn
Performance:  Complexions 
Co-Artistic Directors: Dwight Rhoden & Desmond Richardson
Choreography:  Dwight Rhoden
Venue:  The Joyce Theater
Show Date:  November 17, 2009

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The show opens up with Christopher Wheeldon’s Commedia, a piece where the dancers are wearing white unitards, designed by Isabel and Ruben Toledo, with printed patterns of black much like a mixed up checkerboard.  They also wear what looks like colorful “doo-rags” that cover their eyes like a mask.  The choreography is fun and light and great to watch as the eight dancers move to music by Igor Stravinsky.  Their technique is impeccable and they are sooooo “in” it.  (This is what I love about classical ballet that I think many current day dancers need to remember in performance).  The piece is so musical that the dancers have to become their characters in order to successfully pull this piece off.   It isn’t enough to just perform the art; they must BE the art.  And, in this case, the dancers do just that.  Moreover, to our delight, Wheeldon’s choreography, though starting from a great classical sketch, seamlessly adds contemporary elements of floor work, body undulations, and flexed feet creating a yummy funky mix.

Next on the program is Leaving Songs, a piece about the mystery of death and passing on to another side.  This piece, choreographed by Tim Harbour, is performed so beautifully, so delicate; it’s gorgeous to watch as the dancers dance with clear balls that look like huge bubbles. My favorite part about this piece is the intricate cannon effect used where all the dancers commit to steps one beat away from each other, traveling around the stage to finally unfold into a striking image.

Up next is my favorite piece of the night, Softly As I Leave You, choreographed by Lightfoot Leon, which has me “google-ing” the hell out of the two dancers, Drew Jacoby, and Rubinold Pronk.  Fire, Fire, Fire!!  That is all I have to say.  I watch and I am nothing but compelled to scream out “BEAUTIFUL!!!" when it is finished.  Drew opens the piece dancing inside a coffin-like box propped-up on one side so that the audience can see her dancing within it. The movement is intricate and quirky and EXTREMELY full of passion.  She is so committed to each step that I think the box is going to fall over!  Rubinold emerges next (and I have to mention the fact that he is lying there in darkness the whole time, but I am so intrigued by Drew that I don’t even notice).  Now….Rubinold is a powerhouse.  Let me say it again…POWERHOUSE!  I mean, just graceful, masculine, technical, everything.  The two together are just wonderful. They express such passion,  I feel exactly what the title suggests…  the pain of leaving.

The show is summed up with a piece choreographed by Alexis Ratmansky and performed to one of my favorite pieces of music, “Bolero” by Maurice Ravel.  For Bolero, the work consists of an eclectic mix of jazz-like and contemporary movement which occasionally just explodes as if to come from pure emotion without thought to satisfy technique.  I adore how the choreography hits every single nuance of the music.  The dancers have numbers on their costumes and almost always take turns doing solos and duets in numerical order; but don’t get me wrong, there is nothing predictable about this piece.   I will say though, that at times of unison, the dancers are not always moving completely together; however because they are so fierce… who cares?  Clearly, they are "moved" and clearly, it seems as if the dancers love the music as much as I do.  Live, ya’ll.  Bravo! 

Overall,  Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company is definitely now one of my favorite dance companies.  As for this "must-see" show, Christopher Wheeldon has put together a wonderful concert with a magnificent company of gorgeous dancers to watch.  I am inspired.

IDANZ Critix Corner
Official Dance Review by JoiLynn   
Performance:  Morphoses/ The Wheeldon Company
Choreography:  Christopher Wheeldon, Lightfoot Leon, Alexis Ratmansky, Tim Harbour
Venue: City Center, New York City
Show Date: October 31, 2009 at 8pm
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Love New York for how in each borough of this creative city there is a happening community of creative types, -artists, activists, and industry socialites- that band together and have their own sty-lo uniquely characteristic of their own nook within this illustrious cityscape. Tonight, I’m at the free-feeling artist space at the Irondale Center taking in Brooklyn’s urban arts scene of the conscious, dred-locked, “one love” culture. On the program tonight is the JoiLynn Productions’ W.I.P. showing of HipOCrit, a multimedia dance theatre experience fusing hip hop movement, modern dance, and art.

In a large spacious room with tall ceilings and walls covered with peeling green paint, and JBL speakers bangin’ Bob Marley and some low, hip hop grooves, I get to feast my eyes on some intriguing artist installations of child-like macabre, courtesy of Halima Cassells. Inset within the audience, there is an easel with a bleeding American Flag and a set of Yaffa blocks stacked with giant-sized Leggos and half-butchered baby doll skulls pasted to the artwork. On the mirror, you see the red-painted words, “You Are Ugly.” In the entrance, there is a Crayola-colored kiddy tunnel that reads, “Life This Way.” Placed right next to me is a magnifying glass on a toddler table with two Black dollies seated in wooden chairs disturbingly covered in Silly String… Oh, my! After seeing this display of expression, I can only sit in anxious suspense intrigued by what is to come next…

HypOCrit’s first scene’s trio is dope! Holla… Featuring choreographer, JoiLynn, and freestyle artists, Cartier, and Raymond “Spex” Abbiw, the threesome show off their mad skills- which are nothing less than mad hot. Spex is the truth; he comes out and breaks it down with his clear “Kat Kat” hits and smooth transitions. And, Cartier, well… He’s just sick.

As a contrast to the men, Miss JoiLynn pops through with her own style and dances her aaaaass off! Here, we see JoiLynn’s versatility as both a contemporary mover and hip hop dance artist. Her movements are performed with clarity, passion, fully committed to every step. I watch and I BELIEVE! Here, she extends the energy out passed her fingertips, passed the ends of her toes with movement characteristically all her own –no tricks, no gimmicks, no Xerox –just pure “Joi”Lynn… Khack, khack, spin… smooth shape, reach… Ya, girl, I see you… Get it!

Flanking JoiLynn as she goes, Spex, one of New York’s finest hip hop veterans (responsible for teaching hundreds of New York City newcomers the real steps of hip hop at Broadway Dance Center –yes, I said it) and Cartier, a dance artist with some of the illist percussive stylings, lend individuality and power to some of the more unison sections. I love how Cartier works his way down his body -like a human xylophone – chest, chest, knee, knee, invert…down, down, down… It’s like watching him create hip hop music with his body in motion… NICE!

Throughout the show there are a group of five ladies, the corps, which are also known as “The Hipocrits.” These ladies perform the bulk of JoiLynn’s choreography. Every dancer in the group individually appears to be very well-trained; however, due to the possibility that they have only been together for eight weeks before performing this W.I.P., their precision and overall commitment to artistry and JoiLynn’s urban contemporary style have yet to gel.

Other than that, I love how JoiLynn’s choreography uses modern dance shapes with street jazz dance sensibilities in the construct of her group numbers. Being that the steps are rooted in hip hop, it is great to see that modern dance is only used to compliment the street vocabulary. By loosely borrowing elements from the modern construct, JoiLynn uses such things as “blocking-for-concert-dance” and the technical prowess from her classical training to solely provide a smoothness to her movement transitions from one “crack” to another rather than the opposite -starting with technical modern movement and throwing in a couple wave arms and chest pops for no other reason but to appear “contemporary.” Unfortunately, I find (time and time again) that most modern and contemporary dance companies, that abruptly break form into hip hop moves or elements of popping, locking and waving, merely just look like they’re trying too hard to be “cool.” However, in JoiLynn’s case, her dance company, already rooted in hip hop (a pop culture standard), is already “cool” and is simply adding another layer of difficulty with technique, a contemporary construct that makes her sty-lo WORK.

Illustrating this, one of the sections most potent is when “The Hypocrits” (dancers) run, very modern-esque, into the audience one by one, slamming towards the artwork. Once they all arrive, they are split into two halves within the room facing each other with about a fifteen-foot gap between the two groups. They then proceed into a dance combination, that just breathes angst of young street culture. As the pulse of the beat rides, a splatter of technique peeks throughout the phrase to provide effortless transition from move to move.

Another one of my favorite sections is a part that I personally like to call the “Live Hip Hop Culture Montage Collage.” It begins with the bounce of a dope hip hop loop played by DJ Lumumba AKA Revolution and the award winning actor, Cactuz..?13 (character name: The Truth), wheeling out a portable graffiti painted wall. The Truth continues to add words and design to the wall with his fat magic marker as he bebops his head to the beat, Stepping out second, Spex comes correct with his wicked freestyle where here, we see what really Spex can do… knee, knee, beat, beat, slide, who wee- Yaas, Spex.. That’s what’s up! On Spex’s exit, Cartier chimes in with his taps and breaks it down with his hip hop hoofin’ style. He sounds great and he looks hot too, I want to see more. Although the staging is simple, this section is most effective… JoiLynn has graffiti drawn live by an artist, a sick hip hop freestyler, a dope hoofer, and a DJ spinning a wicked beat on the one’s and two’s, and at the end, she has the piece come full circle as you see The Truth rip away the Mylar “mirror” off the wall to reveal the hypocrite inside the mirror. Whew… I love it!

To sum it up, JoiLynn redefines urban movement and how to use its evolvement in what we currently call modern dance. Because of JoiLynn’s range as both a modern dancer and a hip hop artist, her personal freestyle in which she builds her movement phrases upon lends itself to creating an original vocabulary, an urban contemporary vocabulary, that is totally all hers, and, can I say… totally Brooklyn.  I can’t wait to see her company perform in the future as it matures together and masters the exciting sty-lo that JoiLynn has to offer.

iDANZ Critix Corner
Official Dance Review by Candice Rox
Performance: JoiLynn Productions’ HipOCrit
Choreographer: JoiLynn
Venue: Irondale Center, Brooklyn, NY
Show Date: November 4, 2009
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The American Dance Guild’s performance festival is an evening of choreography with a feature by Donald McKayle.  This evening is filled with ups and downs… or shall I say downs and ups? We encounter the first “down” when the box office opens directly at show-time, causing a 20-minute-or-longer pre-show delay.  Ah well, that was forgivable, but as for the rest of the evening……I’m working on it.

The evening begins with a tribute to Erick Hawkins through a presentation of his piece “Cantilever.”  This piece had the same structure throughout with no real highs and lows.  Instead of being consumed by the dance, I often find myself looking over at the musicians who are working it out!  The percussionist in particular is working more than the dancers!  The music is a complex pattern of randomized noise, running back and forth between symbols, xylophones, and other instruments – even a board that he uses to make an interesting sound.

The movement pays homage to American architecture, which is kind of ironic to watch, after one of the three pieces (that hangs as a backdrop) falls towards the start of the piece and is hanging by one string for the remainder of the piece… I can feel the audience gasping in- holding their breath because at any moment the piece is about to fall and knock someone out!  ”Dancer down!  Dancer Down!”  Luckily this doesn’t happen.

A highlight of the evening is Ursula Payne’s piece entitled, “In Her Solitude: Lest We Forget.”  She is a good sport, considering the wrong music plays for her piece and she very comically begins to improv while telling the technical staff, “This is the wrong music!!!”  It makes the whole audience laugh.  And to top that, she still manages to grab my attention when she actually gets the chance to perform to her REAL music, “Prospectors Arrive“ composed by Jonny Greenwood.  Her piece comments on a woman and her relationship with a rocking chair.  It seems to make a comment on the strength of the womanly figure, mothers and grandmothers, who go through so much internally but manage to still be our saviors.  Her choreography is interesting as she mimics the rocking of the chair, climbs on, over, and through the chair, and even picks it up and dances with it in her arms.  I am intrigued by the subtle fact that she keeps the chair rocking through the entire piece.  She finishes a move and then rocks the chair,..jump twirls, drops and then rocks the chair as she passes it…. Nice.

“Migration” is an interesting duet choreographed by Christine Germain in collaboration with Slater Penny.  The couple perform to live accordion music played by Ofir Uziel, and almost never leave contact with each other in a piece that seems to be about the simplicities of a couple being in each other‘s presence.  This piece uses complex lifts and circus-like balancing moments as both dancers, Germain and Penny, lift each other equally.  It is always interesting to see a woman lift a man on stage as it breaks the assumptions that the eye is used to seeing in dance.

The most eclectic piece of the night is “Splitter”, a comical piece that explores the human body, choreographed by Bert Gstettner.  The dancers start by performing a song with lyrics that are body parts.  “They scream, “Head, head, shoulder, chest, elbow, elbow, knee, leg, arm, teeth!”  At the beginning I am thinking “what the…” in my head but by the end I am slightly entertained as I realize it is supposed to be comical.  The movement is very limited but appropriate for the theme as they allow each body part to lead them as they shout its name.

“Et Tu” choreographed by Kyla Barkin, a duet performed by Barkin and Aaron Selissen, uses the music, “Looking Through You” performed by the Wallflowers and “Cocoon” by Jack Johnson, which is a nice emphasis to the VERY energetic movement.  At times it seems as Barkin is TOO energetic as they dance a story commenting on the highs and lows of a relationship.  I mean, I am literally watching a couple “go through it” on stage.  He throws her, she smacks him -leap, turn, drop, roll then she pushes him, then they are in love again..whew!!  The choreography is very intricate and well-rehearsed, as I know they would have to be to not smash into each other or smack each other in the face…lol.

And of course, last of the evening, but DEFINITELY not least was Donald McKayle’s “Angelitos Negros” performed by Nejla Yatkin…She is BEAuuuuuTIFUL!  … Just an all-around gorgeous dancer- you know, the type that can walk across the stage and flair her fingers and make you want to go back to class!!  Her presence is remarkable.  It was originally choreographed in 1972, and I watched a recording of her perform it when she was younger in the lobby after the show, but obviously the magic is still there and she works it out.  Bravo!

At the end of the night, YES- there were pieces that looked under-rehearsed, backdrops falling, incorrect music, oh and I forgot to mention some occasions of lighting mishaps and a TWO-and-a-HALF HOUR SHOW!  But, I can thankfully say that the dancers were good sports and remained professional, always giving their best, as all of us dancers do!

iDANZ Critix Corner
Official Dance Review by JoiLynn
Performance: American Dance Guild Performance Festival
Venue: Manhattan Movement and Arts Center
Show Date: Thursday, September 10th, 2009
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