Spotlight
by Joe Siegel
Divine Providence
, May 9, 2008
Brown University presented a dazzling display of movement in its annual Festival of Dance, held May 1 through 4. The performance featured a range of stylistic elements and themes, which twisted expectations of gender, sexuality, and male/female relationships in society.
The opener, Madame Sand, with choreography by Donna Jewell and music by Frederic Chopin, featured dancers Laura Bayley, Patra Jongjitirat, Caroline Kleeman, Melissa Monteleone, and Victoria Roth. The troupe wore suits and ties, disguising their femininity under a cloak of masculine behaviors. The presentation explored gender stereotypes, and the evolution of the dichotomy of society’s expectations of what a man is supposed to represent to what a woman is supposed to represent.
Madame Sand was inspired by writer Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupine (1804-1876) whose nom de plume was George Sand. The social atmosphere of the time made it necessary for her to present herself in public as a man in order to gain acceptance as a writer. Sand’s stormy relationships with artists, including Chopin, are as well-known as her literary works.
Beirut at Dawn, along with the prologue, Five Psalms And A Prayer, explore the themes of man’s struggle to survive amidst death and destruction during wartime. The ensemble, featuring Adam Cassel, Annie Banducci, Matthew Bauman, Laura Baylay, Sofia Bengoa, Ashley Chung, Ariel Isaacs, Erin Joyce, Dan Lurie, Justine McGowan, Keith Monarch, Elise Nuding, Paulina Pagan, Christina Santana, Alexandra Sevy, Orit Shilo, Stephen Ursprung, Hannah Watson, and Margaret Weeks, were energetic and skillful at creating a community of people sharing their innermost feelings.
The choreography, by Carol Abizaid, was ambitious and highly textured. Abizaid’s themes speak volumes about the connections all human beings have, especially the despair and indignation at seeing their world literally and figuratively blown apart. Beirut at Dawn features a diverse musical palette such as funk, disco, Euro-pop, salsa, Afro-beat and industrial percussion.
The highlight of the show was Ciona, with choreography by Pilobolus, staging by Jude Woodcock, and music by Jon Appleton. Dancers Stephen Ursprung, Danica Rosen, Melissa Monteleone, Meg Weeks, Caroline Kleeman, Laura Bayley, Rosalie Elkinton, Keith Monarch, Victoria Roth, Patra Jongjitirat, Owen David, and Arielle Balbus engaged in various combinations, enacting synergistic bodily rhythms and creating a collage of imagery which was surrealistic and magical. Accompanied by a grinding electronic score, the dancers in “Ciona” contort, flip, and leap into and from each other in a continuous flow of movement.
Fran Romasco’s costumes allowed the dancers to appear virtually naked, baring their souls for the world to see. The beauty of their bodies in unity transcended the stage to an unseen dimension. For a few moments, these individuals made the watcher forget all the bleakness of the world and see only the wonder which exists. The spiritual and the romantic came alive in a whirling kaleidoscope of love, sex, mystery, and intellect.
Also part of the festival was Bloodline, choreographed by Michelle Bach-Coulibaly and New Works/World Traditions, text by New Works, Eli Marienthal, Shakespeare, and Dante, and music selections by Debussy, Toure Kunda, and Melingo and Florencia Bonadeo. Bloodline displayed narratives of the human body as it dealt with disease and adaptation to the climate changes in a West African setting. The work was realized through original text, personal narrative, Mande oral and literary performance traditions, contemporary and contemplative movement practices, Bamana masquerade, and scientific research on malaria infection from the Center for Disease and Prevention. The large New Works ensemble was magnificent, interacting with precision and grace. The New Works Band provided accompaniment, which enhanced the drama of the show immensely.
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