My overall impression
This beautiful movement-dance piece directed by Sam Szabo and Samantha Shay, is wonderfully inventive and stunning. The ensemble of eight moves with great control and dexterity and have expressive and engaging facial expressions.
Although there’s not much of a story line here (and when you think you have some sort of a narrative it changes pace completely), the sheer beauty of the piece washes over you and is incredibly interesting to watch. Again, the ensemble’s focus and dedication must be praised. The use of flashlights as the bulk of the lighting creates a sensational effect of being lost in the forest. With the first half danced around books, I kept imagining that these were young kids who had never seen a book before and were being sucked into various threads of stories.
It’s clear much time has been devoted to creating a visually stunning piece, thus I would love to see the company work closely with a proper sound designer to better complement and enhance the visuals. If it were any longer the melancholic atmosphere would’ve grown wearisome. These are minor issues with what looks to be like a young company with a strong sense of style and one that I look forward to seeing evolve.
