Kami Liddle’s ensemble piece titled “Distraction” was a nod
to the many daily distractions we all face in modern society.
This performance bore out its name as the dancers gathered,
dispersed, and changed levels in their dance while staring
blankly ahead, never acknowledging each other as humans.
It gave the viewer a sense of hollowness and isolation, as Ms.
Liddle’s concept intended.
Sera Solstice performed with her troupe of 15 dancers who
blew the doors right off the barn, as Solstice Ensemble
usually does. Earlier in the show Solstice member, Serena
Spears, performed a gritty, down n’ dirty Latin-infused solo,
about immigrating to the US from Cuba, never to see her
homeland again. Sera Solstice and her gang of girls are a tight,
talented team, and the audience went wild with appreciation!
Mira Betz’ piece began with sounds of wind and rain; a
giant square of silk wafted across the stage, simulating
waves. Dancers cocooned inside the silk, silently appeared
and disappeared like figures smothering in molten lava.
Mira emerged in a prop, painted to look like a boat adrift on
the waters. She thrashed and struggled in a Zar-like trance
dance, as the silken waves crashed around her. But this was
the beginning of Mira’s storyline, which grew into an epic
ensemble piece, which began with an ominous tone but
ended in jubilation.
UNMATA brought it! But when does Unmata NOT bring
it? This was a special performance for the queens of ITS; it
was their first time performing a choreography created by
Kari VanderZwaag! Plus, Kari and Amy were reunited on
stage with April Rose, who was a member of Unmata, back
April Rose and Troupe
Photo by Yaniv Halfon
when she was just 16 years old. Their hips moved like machine
guns spitting bullets to the rhythm track of “Run Boy Run”
by Woodkid. I really wanted to leap on stage and dance with
these warrior women. They exude such power and grace.
Jill Parker’s opening dance embodied a sense of palpable
vulnerability. It felt deeply personal. Her song explored the
everyday insecurities that most women experience, in our
youth-and-beauty driven culture. The song lyrics questioned
“Will you still love me when I’m no longer beautiful?” Jill
took us to a place of love-lost and emotional yearning,
with her oooey-gooey slow signature moves. She finished
with a high-energy drum solo that showcased Jill’s ability
to perform classic belly dance, and to nail incredibly fast
rhythmic changes, from malfuf to masmoudi saghir to
ayoub to zar, and back again. Jill is a big proponent of old
school improvisation, and in our interview she expressed the
belief that every student should study the traditional roots
of Middle Eastern dance.
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