In Begin Again, the dancers swooped onto the stage like a flurry of bright red birds. The music evoked an (updated) Aaron Copland Appalachian Spring. The dance conveyed tons of energy and movement and did give the fresh feeling of a new beginning.
Mes Within Me began in an unusual way with the sounds of forest creatures and splashing water. A gauzy drape hung from the ceiling, encasing one of the dancers. When she removed the drape and lay it on the ground, it became a body of water. This was a powerful dance, the style of the central portion reminiscent of Martha Graham. Jiae Park’s choreography gave it a distinctly Korean influence.
The impression I had of Meetings at Ragas was that the dancers were like cogs in an Orwellian world, always rushing to get nowhere, feeling the futility of existence. This dance was extremely physical. The all-girl ensemble pulled off some great lifts, which is no easy feat since it requires a tremendous amount of strength by the “lifter” and the ability on the part of the “liftee” to make oneself as light as a bird. At the end it seemed they would jump right off the stage and into the audience.
Thrown Existence was a gem of a dance performed and choreographed by Melissa Torres and Brian Fidalgo. The music by Lauren Hoffman fit well with the movements, some of which were very difficult — lifts and tandem motions that at times made the dancers seem almost like one person. But the dancers transcended the physical difficulty of the dance and brought an emotional element into play that made this beautiful piece completely satisfying. This dance had the only male in the show.
Watersong III opened to Handel’s “Water Music” as the dancers alternately sat and stood in a diagonal line, moving in slow motion to pass a bowl of water (perhaps suggesting life or spirituality). It’s difficult to describe this in a way that does justice to the beauty of the movement. This dance also required tremendous physicality and stamina, and I could tell that the dancers were completely spent at the end. The dance concluded with a return to “Water Music,” after which the sound reverted to water splooshes and the dancers poured the bowls of water onto the tops of their heads.
Kudos go to Jesse Sabo, sound engineer, for flawless sound quality; the sound was a large portion of this show, and greatly added to the overall effect. Keith Arsenault, HCC theater manager and technical director, provided lighting that enhanced the look of what was essentially a bare stage. Bravo to Christina Costa for acting as National Dance Week coordinator and producer. The guest choreographers were Erin Cardinal, Paula, Kramer, Jiae Park and Else Valbuena.
I noticed that the program contained a dedication to Anzia Kubicel Arsenault, artistic director of the Tampa Ballet from 1964 to 1984. I studied with the great Anzia for several years; yes, I was one of those skinny little girls with ramrod posture and hair pulled back into a strict bun who ate, slept and drank dance. And though I never made it into the Tampa Ballet, it wasn't for lack of trying. Anzia was truly a national treasure.
Four Days of Dance is playing through April 25 at 7:30 pm at HCC’s Mainstage Theater.
I attended the second day of HCC's Four Days of Dance. Some dances were performed by students and some by guest artists. I can only say that I was completely floored by the artistic accomplishment of this program.
The Korean Fan Dance, choreographed by Jiae Paul and deftly performed by HCC students, was a visual treat. The graceful dancers looked like pink and yellow butterflies. There was a nice bit of synchronized dance and rolling-fan-wave that created the visual illusion of a dragon. Lead dancer Sumi Kim’s background in Korean dance is evident in this traditional piece.
Three Iberian Moods was a lyrical ballet piece performed by three dancers on pointe. They handled single pirouettes very nicely, demonstrated good synchronization and lots of attitude. At times they purposely violated the fourth wall by looking out into the audience. The three women performed this medium-difficulty ballet with wonderful style and enthusiasm.
