My overall impression
“In Pieces” was an interesting dance production which brought together three very different choreographic styles into one concert. However, the relationship between these arts was unclear and left me unsettled in my overall experience. The first piece about passive aggression had some idiosyncratic movement that lent itself to the theme, however the beautiful props which another reviewer mentioned were wrought with potential, but underused in this context, providing a lens through which the audience viewed the dance before being moved into walls of separation between the performers. Overall, while this piece held promise in terms of movement concepts and stage design, it was largely uncentered in theme and context.
“The Push” moved into a more contemporary modern/ release technique aesthetic. The movement generation was detailed and the spatial relationships between the dancers was consistent with generating imbalances that resulted in shifts and “agitation” (movement). The three women each possessed a powerful focus although the arc of the piece was somewhat flat, therefore time and pace were issues for me as an audience member.
“Pistachio Ice Cream” while touching in its story and evocative in titling, lacked an essential foundation of movement innovation to support the story telling. The dancers were passionate and clearly dedicated to the performance and the message. However, choreographically speaking, there was no movement “hook” to match the powerful imagery provided in the title. Lastly, the final dancer/ choreography is beautiful, and as she paints herself, she is exquisite to watch, however, again, there is no visceral connection between this image and the rest of the dance that made sense for me as a choreographer or audience member. The story was clear, but the composition was clunky and undeveloped.
