SHAPIRO & SMITH DANCE COMPANY




Tonight we went to see a performance by Shapiro & Smith Dance Company at the Southern Theater. The program included Flower, Accidentally Walking Through Nothing, What Dark/Falling Into Light, and then after intermission, Minatures and a video called Danny's Film. Flower consisted of a solo work choreographed and danced by Joanie Smith, one of the company founders. This shor introductory work consisted of Ms Smith performing with a red rose. She tries to get to it, but can't. She is in a sitting position and the rose is just out of reach, even if she bends or stretches. At the end of this work Joanie Smith talked about the night's program. She said that this was a mentor program, where a choreographer had been invited to produce a few pieces and to collaborate with the company's dancers, and tonight we would be seeing the fruit of that collaboration with Accidentally Walking Through Nothing and coreography by Maggie Bergeron. This work showcased Sarah Baumert, Eddie Oroyan, and Laura Selle Virtucio. This work was ligh and fast. The dancers used the whole stage, moving quickly. They would move in a large circle and then come together to meet. Sometimes one of them would jump to be caught by another dancer. Interestingly, the male dance jumped once or twice to be caught by the female dancers.. The dancers would also slide or roll on the floor.
After that came What Dark/Falling Into Light a work that had been premiered on March 13, 1996 at the Dance Theater Workshop, in New York. Coreography by Hapiro & Smith, this longer piece utilized most of the company. This was my favorite work.
It starts with a dark stage and a voice recording (text by David Greenspan). The voice has a rythmical quality to it. It speaks of a question, what is a question, how can it be a question, etc. A few dancers come out. Then the whole group. They wear black leotars. There are three men and four women. Linda and I are sitting on the first row. This is just about the closest I've ever been. It is a strange experience. I am so close I need to look at one dancer or another. I am not at a distance where I can see the whole group. At times one dancer or another performs a solo, then it retreats into the group and another dancer performs a solo. The dancing is very phisical. The dancers throw themselves on the dance floor. They fall hard and hit hard. The voice lasts for a short time, then it goes away and they dance to music. Two dancers perform a very physical and explosive part where they run at full speed from opposite sites on the stage towards each other. When they meet, they collide in an embrace, then fall to the floor and roll. This couple may be the two principal dancers. It is hard to say, because all dancers are very good. At one point, we notice that the woman is bleeding by her elbow. We are sitting on the first row, so when they dance by us they are close, very close. We can see the blood drip and accumulate on her elbow, yet she has to dance like that for a while. Later on, where other dancers take center stage, she is able to leave for a while and return with a large bandate, which doesn't last long. Soon is back to the bleeding elbow. Midway through the piece there is a very nice segment with most dancers laying on their backs on stage and one dancer (Eddie Oroyan) falling on them, rolling on them, and getting pushed up and held or thrown away, only to come back to fall on the group. For the final segment of this work, the lights are dimmed, the stage falls into total darkness, and when lights come up the dancers are only wearing skin colored underwear. The women are topless, and the effect from far away must be of nudity. They dance like this for a long time. Again, it is very phisical. dancers run and jump, only to fall on the floor. Some times they come together and dance in a tight group, most of the time they dance in duos or threes.
Then comes intermission






. Shapiro & Smith Dance Company at the Southern

Dancers:
Joanie Smith
Kelly Drummond Cawthon
Sarah Baumert
Eddie Oroyan
Laura Selle Virtucio
Mathew Janczewski
Kari Mosel
Maggie Bergeron
Ned Sturgiis

Coreography
Maggie Bergeron








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Posted: Saturday - April 05, 2008 at 01:44 PM          

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