17th ANNUAL MID-ATLANTIC CHOREOGRAPHERS SHOWCASE
A Dance Review by Julinda D. Lewis
At: Grace Street Theater, 934 West Grace Street, RVA 23220
Performances: March 30 at 5:00 and 8:00 pm and March 31 at 2:00 pm
Ticket Prices: $15
Info: (804) 304-1523, www.showwclix.com, or www.starrfosterdance.org
For 17 years, Starr Foster has curated the Mid-Atlantic Choreographers Showcase of internationally recognized choreographers – and one university student.
This year’s program included works by Megan Payne (Charlotte, NC), Sadie Weinberg of LITVAK Dance (San Diego, CA), Mariah Eastman (a Seattle, WA native who graduated from the VCU Dance program), Zachary Frazee (Rochester, NY), Lauren Lambert (a University of Richmond senior majoring in Psychology with minors in Dance and Healthcare Studies), and Starr Foster (Richmond, VA).
Payne was the only choreographer to have two works on the program with one of them a dance on film, “rib.” The title immediately made me think of biblical themes, of Eve, and the work, in fact, is an exploration of the female experience. Set in a dark, damp, windowless room, the trio is lit primarily by a single, bare bulb hanging from the ceiling. It reminds me of the light in an interrogation room on a television detective show. Rather than an outward focus on line and technique, the movement is internally focused and motivated. The dancers move as a group, suggesting the three women may be components of a whole – a sort of trinity – and the two most striking movements, for me, were when they faced a blank wall, searching it with their hands, and when one violently swung her hair.
Payne also presented a live work, “Bleached Dreams.” This duet is an exploration of how our bodies experience grief and seemed mysterious and somewhat alien as it began with the two women bent over, backsides to the audience – a position they held for quite some time. Much of the movement took place on the floor, such as a head-to-head crawl, with one dancer moving forward while the other moved backward – picture conjoined twins, with the dominant twin controlling the direction of travel. The lighting and sound contributed to the alienated, shadowy effect.
Speaking of lighting, Lauren Lambert’s work, “Eudaimonia,” described in a quote from Dr. Colin Zimbleman (likely one of the psychologists Lambert encountered in her major) as “a chance to glimpse an awe-filled vision of the world,” included some beautiful lighting effects – a “cyclorama lighting design concept” by Shanna Gerlach. Golden streaks occasionally flashed in the background, creating an other-worldly effect, and I liked the simplicity of the rotating circle of women moving as if supported by water, washed in a golden pool of light. “Eudaimonia,” by the way, translates from the Greek as happiness or prosperity.
I enjoyed the evocatively lit opening and period costumes of “considering the difference between stillness and waiting” by Sadie Weinberg and dancers of LITVAKdance. Inspired by Arthur Schnitzler’s controversial 1897 play, “La Ronde,” the duo moved through interesting partner variations – but without the sexually provocative nature of the work that inspired it. Mariah Eastman’s solo, “Efforts of Contemplation,” displayed a quiet intensity powered by detailed, articulated movement phrases, while Zachary Frazee’s “Remain in My Heart” had six dancers in primary colors transitioning through a variety of interactions. The satisfyingly diverse program closed with “Stray,” a work by Starr Foster which, despite its title, demonstrated the smooth, organic quality of Foster’s movement vocabulary and the mesmerizing mastery of her ensemble.
Julinda D. Lewis is a dancer, teacher, and writer who was born in Brooklyn, NY and now lives in Eastern Henrico County.
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Photo Credits: accompany each photo.
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