Reviews
Winter Formal
Congrats to all who performed in Dance Houston’s 2006 Winter Formal. It was the best show we've ever produced and we owe it all to our talented cast and crew. Here's a little recap of what went down...
WyldStyL opened the concert with an electrifying performance of Merry Crunkmas. Artistic Director Gary Connor cracked everyone up with his hysterical faces and delicious booom-cack moves. As always, Theresa Huynh tore it up with her little body's explosive energy. Featured choreographer Amanda Suarez presented a street jazz interpretation of "Carol of the Bells" with impressive technical difficulty. Newcomer Rhodessa Bell's krumping was so rough it hurt to watch. WyldStyL was so much fun to watch - especially the final section in which the company totally dorked out to Christmas music.
The
feel-good performance of the night was definitely that of FLYKiDs.
This group of 4th-8th graders brought joy to all with their beautiful faces
and uplifting dances. They blended jazz and hip hop with novel
theatrical ideas like utilizing dancers' bodies like the keys of a piano.
Their final surprise piece set to James Brown's "Let's Unite the World at
Christmastime" was the most precious of all.
Soloists from Marvelous Motion wowed the crowd with eye-popping pop-locking. Moon stole the show by picking apart every single sound in the music with freakishly precise and innovative movements. The company's performance set a new standard in Houston for clean lines in urban dance. The girls' section was smoking hot and the guys' section would put the cast from Chippendale's to shame. Marvelous Motion has accomplished a lot in their first year as a company, and we are eager to see what's next from them!
Dance
Houston's Director Andrea Cody produced her own work for this concert.
One Special Night, inspired by a nativity theme, opened with the north
star coming out at night. Over a period of about 5 minutes,
silver-clad dancers went from barely moving and totally out of sync to
rocking out in unison. The trek of the 3 wise men featuring Daniel
Adame followed with an old school jazz dance that turned more and more
modern as the dancers tired from their journey. The piece closed with
a graceful lyrical dance celebrating the beauty of life and love.
Representing Mother Mary, Lauren Bridges courageously danced this part just
two weeks before the due date of the birth of her first child. Cody's
second piece, Holiday Blues, presented alternating solos that
expressed the flipside of this most wonderful time of the year.
Finally,
Planet Funk brought their world-class entertainment to the stage.
Their rendition of the Christmas Story was extraordinary. It mixed
urban and contemporary dance with theater and circus elements. The
ambience created by their original music mix, custom-made costumes, and
video backdrop was masterful. Shawn Welling played an outstanding
Scrooge. Liz Hewitt flew in magnificently from the sky as the angel of
Christmas past. Chris Muniz was the ghost of Christmas present, making
his performance debut with stellar acrobatics. Amber Thornton, ghost
of Christmas future, danced a powerful and sensual duet with Oliver Osuna.
In a separate piece, the Planet Funk Slam Squad were good little toy
soldiers getting ready for a holiday pageant. Santa paid a visit to
the stage to watch the performance and rewarded them all with gifts in the
night.
Thanks not only to the 130 performers in the concert, but also the 800 fans in attendance! We love your applause and cheering and support! We look forward to performing for you again in 2007!
Click here to see photos from the concert.
Rudrakshya: New Dimensions in Odissi Dance
Presented by Samskriti, August 4, 2006.
Odissi is a classical
dance style that originated around the 2nd century B.C. in the
Eastern region of India now called Orissa. It is a soft, flowing, sensuous
style of dance that is rigorous and challenging, demanding control and
precision, aesthetic and technical details. On August 4, 2006, fifteen
extraordinary dancers and musicians of the Orissa Dance Academy, directed by
the famous Guru Bichitrananda Swain, offered a sensational performance of
Odissi dance called “Rudrakshya” at Zilkha Hall.
Featured in the choreography were the expressive eye movements, tedious hand positions, and complicated rhythms that make up the standard movements of classical Indian dance. However, Odissi further challenges its dancers and fascinates its audience with a technique called Tribhangi. It is a particular posture in which the head, chest, and torso are held at a specific angle to one another, creating three bends in the body, giving a unique shape of a flowing river. The dancers of “Rudrakshya” displayed this technique exquisitely.
The highlight of the evening was a dance theater piece inspired by a classic Indian poem that praises Lord Vishnu. Amidst elegant body contortions and complex footwork, the dance vividly portrayed Vishnu’s heroic feats, from winning the heart of the king’s daughter to defeating a ten-headed monster one head at a time.
Kudos to Guru Rathna Kumar for bringing this brilliant concert to Houston and presenting it in such a way as to educate the audience on the intricacies and meanings of the dance.
Phantasia: Psophonia Dance Company Casts a Spell
Presented by Psophonia Dance Company, October 28-29, 2005
Enter
the fantasy world of Phantasia. Here, the Earth Goddess rules over an
alluring, mystical world of whimsy and wonderment. She breathes life into
moons, shadows, and trees, and governs a virus and an endless river…
As she creeps around her dominion, the Goddess stutters like the tortured souls in The Ring or The Grudge. Her sinister gait does not rely on camera tricks; instead, it utilizes modern dance infused with a technique called Japanese Butoh. A 1960’s rebellion movement against traditional Kabuki dance, Butoh sought to portray the “truth” of life, which is often grotesque and bizarre. Fiercely performed by Toni Leago Valle, the Earth Goddess is the central figure in this magical theatrical production.
Phantasia is the invention of Houston’s very own dance goddesses Sonia Noriega and Sophia Torres. As Artistic Co-Directors of Psophonia Dance Company, these award-winning choreographers took the idea of the Nutcracker—a seasonal performance filled with fantasy and excitement—and made it cool. The result was Phantasia, a dramatic spectacle of dance with the spirit of Halloween as its muse.
Though Phantasia is an annual show, you shouldn’t wait until next year to check it out because it changes every year based on a central thread. This year, the goddess figure will weave an exploration of myths and themes from Japanese, Greek, and Indian cultures. The scenes are set to the sounds and music of avant-garde, minimalist, and urban selections by John Williams, Gyorgy Ligeti, and Lisa Gerrard.
Definitely bring a date. You won’t want to sit in that dark theater without a hand to hold when the Earth Goddess gets angry.
Photo Credit: A.J. Jones Photography
Fallen Sindhur
Presented by The Urban Indian Beat on September 9 & 10, 16 & 17
Fallen Sindhur
addresses a question haunting every mature woman: must I accept my life with
toleration or do I have the strength to break free? By presenting five
women from various backgrounds struggling with this age old dilemma that
knows no cultural or economic borders. The dancers’ movement will indicate
how they reject and adapt to their particular situations.
Thakkar accompanies portions of the show with the spoken word of Hindi poetry. I would assume it speaks to the core of the dancers on stage if I understood any bit of it. Musical selections include jazzy piano and electronic lounge with world drums that will inspire everyone’s toes to tap.
Film artist Christopher Keller contributes an original video composition as an unimposing backdrop for one of the pieces. Slowly moving smoke trails along the back wall add an aura of cool to the presentation as well as a sense of urgency to midshow cigarette cravings.
The Urban Indian Beat, Inc. was founded in Houston, Texas in August of 2000. It began with eight women who all shared a love for both dance and their Indo-American heritage. UIB held its premiere concert, Mixed Origins, on February 24, 2001 at the Ensemble Theatre's Performance Center. The 500-seat auditorium was sold out and since then, UIB has held annual concerts and been asked to perform at a variety of events such as charity dinners, festivals, pageants, and galas. The founders of UIB realized the strong need to teach the importance of both tolerance and compromise. Thus, the key mission of UIB is to foster in the general community an appreciation for the importance of merging one's culture with American life.
Dance of Asian America's East Meets West III
Presented by Dance of Asian America on April 16, 2005
They make it look so
easy. Their delicate smiles and calm presence could fool anyone who hasn’t
tried dancing yet. A free-spirited child can easily do 15 consecutive
hairpin turns without spotting; but it takes a dancer to do the same, hit
and hold a stunning pose, and look as carefree as a whirling child. East
Meets West III was an exhibition of difficult acts like this one, and
the most difficult act of acting as though the moves weren’t difficult.
This artistic feat was best depicted in Director/Choreographer’s Janie Yao’s
“Enchanting Peacocks”, which featured the set movements of classical Chinese
dance.
Presented by Dance of Asian America, East Meets West III delighted
its audience with beautiful dancing, remarkable costumes, and pleasing
music. It was a testament to prevalent concepts in Asian culture like
artistic discipline, group harmony, the serenity of nature, and the feng
shui of perfect lines and spacing. It also paid homage to American culture
by including great swing numbers and sharing the stage with guest hip hop
dancers exuding cocky attitudes and wearing costumes sporting their
trademark logo.
The beautiful and talented Dance of Asian America dancers cooperated in a
distinctively Eastern manner in which the whole unit was the primary avenue
of expression. They worked harmoniously together to pull off several
arrhythmic cannons and complicated formations like pinwheels and
intermingling grids. In “Flying Kites”, they utilized oversized, two-tone
fans to form various-shaped kites. The brilliant choreography included a
seamless transition between group formations portraying a caterpillar
turning into a butterfly. Throughout this piece, the constantly fluttering
fans gave off the sense that gusts of wind were flowing through the
theater. It was magnificent.
Soloist Jocelyn Lo gave a provocative performance about the joy of rain
entitled “Rain Amidst the Bamboos”. Set to cool lounge music, Lo’s fingers
twinkled like droplets when she struck contortionist poses. The
aforementioned twirling scene expressed the climax of exhilaration felt by
this dancer in the rain.
A pop-locking hip hop piece, a couple swing numbers, and a traditional
Polish opera song put the West in East Meets
West III.
Guest artists performed some of these pieces, which provided an entertaining
change of pace and a couple loose connections with the Eastern dances. The
pop-lock technique resembled similar movements to the Mongolian broken
shoulder technique exhibited in Li Lu’s “Streams and Grasslands”; and the
heavy drum beats of the hip hop number were reminiscent of a drum circle
soundtrack to the Mongolian dance. Overall, the hip hop and opera
performances simply added fun and variety to the show’s format.
The biggest contribution made by the West was in
setting swing pieces on the Dance of Asian America company members. Because
Eastern and Western dance are half a world apart, a Western dance enthusiast
may find it difficult to ascertain the skill level of an Eastern dance
company. However, when DAA dances swing, the quintessential American folk
dance, the talent was not only obvious but versatile. These pieces, the
first and last acts, confirmed that DAA is a company dedicated to expressing
the Asian American (not just Asian) experience through dance.
Dance of Asian America's commitment to community does not stop on stage.
The dancers were active members of Tsunami outreach campaigns, and their
generosity was recognized by members of Congress Sheila Jackson Lee and Al
Green, and Council Member Gordon Quan, all of which were present for the
concert. To to it off, a portion of the show's proceeds are being donated
to the Victims of Tsunami through UNICEF.
Asi el Nacio Flamenco
Presented by Del Espadin Baile Espanol on April 10, 2005
The idea behind Del Espadin Baile Espanol’s "Asi Nacio el Flamenco" was to trace the evolution of Flamenco dance from Indian and Gypsy roots to its traditional form. It began with a "Roots of Flamenco" section that took the audience back hundreds of years with two Indian dance solos of high technical proficiency and great stage presence. These solos were followed by a stylish Middle Eastern dancer who was upbeat and entertaining with strong hip movements accentuated by tingling spangles on her many belts. This “Roots of Flamenco” section set the stage historically for the next scene.
The “Gypsy Camp in Andalucia” section opened with a Zambra performed by the star of the show, Gabriella “La Tempestad”. According to the VERY informative program (major kudos!) “The Zambra is one of the oldest Flamenco dances showing the combination of Indian, Arabic, and Flamenco elements.” Totally out of her usual character, Gabriella let her ravenous air down and danced barefoot, and lyrically, in a gypsy campfire setting. The piece did its job of creating a visual connection between the Indian roots and the traditional Flamenco dance by highlighting the stylized movements used by all the dances. For example, the soloist turned around and swayed her hips in the same way as the Middle Eastern dancer and a traditional Flamenco dancer. The Zambra was the show’s pinnacle piece, the birth scene, stating succinctly, “and that’s how Flamenco was born”.
The show, however, was long from over. Gabriella “La Tempestad” graced us with several more solos whose emotional depths went beyond the cliché sad and happy Flamenco dances. There was a desperate, pathetic Solea that pulled the audience into experiencing the dancer’s isolation and hopelessness. Its final pose was brilliant – “La Tempestad” pathetically tossing her hands out to her side with a hint of surrender - boldly portraying a sense of despair and capitulation. Her Alegrias was not fun and flirtatious; no, even it expressed the happiness of someone who had been sad for a long time, like rain after a drought; or just a sad person's happiness, like a new widow on a good day. Gabriella’s solos were terrific and the crowd loved her as always.
Just before intermission, Director Maria Del Espadin’s “Solos Sevillanas” debuted two female group pieces that featured Del Espadin’s choreography. The pieces consisted of about 12-14 women in gorgeous costumes dancing together. The group did a good job carrying out the folk dance concept, but they needed to add some pizzazz to the pieces through formation changes and movement differentiation among the dancers. All the dancers danced the same steps (somewhat out of sync and without clear lines) and there was only one group formation per piece. The dancers had excellent rhythm in their feet and charming stage personalities. For one of the pieces, two “abuelitas” joined the cast to show off their moves to the young girls, which made for a cute and humorous scene. Overall, the Solos Sevillanas section of the program was enjoyable despite the simplicity of the choreography.
The second act of the show included solos by the company’s principal dancers and some musical numbers. It was a serious presentation of strict Flamenco technique that was, on the whole, better than performances at Los Gallos in Sevilla. The dancers adhered to the canon of historical moves and rhythms, not once breaking into Modern technique. The program was a testament to the fact that Del Espadin is a company of purists who pride themselves on an artistic yet accurate historical rendering of Flamenco. Bravo!