Monday, April 28, 2008

Dance Review: Dance for the Planet

By Mark-Brian Sonna of MBS Productions

Dance for the Planet is the annual Dance gathering of dance companies, schools and performers orchestrated by the Dance Council. Most of the participants are companies from the North Texas region. Hundreds of people of all ages and levels of talent take turns presenting the best of what they have to offer. This two day event showcases well over 100 groups on three different stages. Short dance classes are also offered from time to time, letting the public get a taste first hand of what dancers go through. Then there are the booths with nachos, gorditas, sausages, snow cones, etc. This is a fun two day event and best of all it’s free.

The advantage of coming to an event such as this is you get to glimpse at the level of artistry and talent displayed. Each company gets to perform a short segment ranging from 5 to 10 minutes in length. The disadvantage is that, as it is with all festivals of this nature, the potpourri isn’t always pleasing. This said, there is an energy and a “we can do it” attitude that makes one smile, even if the poor ballerina can barely stay balanced on her point shoes!

Dallas Black Dance Theatre

I was able to attend the Sunday event. The weather was not cooperative; a cold front had come through so it had become surprisingly blustery cold. The temperature was not conducive for the dancers. It’s hard to make long stretched out movements if you are shivering. Nonetheless, the dancers were troopers and they rose to the challenge.

Because there were three stages and all were performing concurrently I was unable to view everything. I did notice that the majority of those in attendance were not the general public but the performers and their families that had arrived early to perform or had just gotten off the stage so they hung around to watch the other companies. It truly was the ultimate “show and tell”.

Below are my musings and impressions on some of the companies I saw:

Tuzer Ballet: Artistically and technically these kids have it. The tango/ballet number was well executed, and as is the case with Tanju Tuzer’s dancers, well rehearsed. This company, which I had a pleasure of dancing with when it first formed in the early 1980’s, has gone on to be one of the better dance companies in the North Texas area. Their leading off at 2 p.m. on the largest stage is not by accident. They’ve earned their position there for they are a very capable. My only complaint with the piece is that it lacked the sexuality that was inherent in the music and the choreography. Most of the dancers are young. Tango is highly sensual. A 17 year old dancer is not as likely to capture the raw sexuality demanded. This said they performed with much agility and artistry.

Tuzer Ballet

Dallas Ballet was another strong group. These kids also displayed a level of precision and athleticism that made them standouts. The modern Ballet choreography didn’t serve the dancers though. I wasn’t sure what the dance piece was trying to convey. There was a harshness to it that never fully realized. Was it anger? Aloofness? Isolation? I never could make out what I was supposed to feel. The costuming of sheathes of grey fabric was effective for it depersonalized the dancers. . In their attempt at being “cold and hard” they ended up focusing on doing the “steps” and not dancing. It was a series of well executed movements but nothing was communicated. I’d say it left me cold, but then that means it would have effectively communicated something. I found myself instead wondering “what was that all about?” This said, I would love to see these dancers again, for they I have a feeling with better choreography the stage would have come alive.

Ballet Frontier of Fort Worth was a joy to watch. They performed with much gusto. The choreography suited the event perfectly. The piece was a mash up of hip hop and tejano dance. Yes, an odd combination, but it worked wonderfully. The choreography was the best of any group I saw. The dancers were of different levels, and different body shapes. Not everybody in this group was lithe. They could bust a move. I was unable to catch the name of the choreographer – the loudspeaker making the announcements wasn’t the best-, but he, a man waved from the stage when his name was said so I’m assuming it was him, never choreographed over the dancer’s level, which means each one could execute his dance steps flawlessly. The colorful sashes, t shirts, and hip hop wear gave the grey dull day a blast of much needed color.

Dallas Black Dance Theatre II has a mixed bag of talent. Some of the dancers are stronger then others. The choreographer realized this and also choreographed to the dancers levels. They also were the warmest group. Their costumes were hooded sweats that gave the upper bodies a bit of an amorphous shape which worked well with the repetitive lines created for the dance. Again, I couldn’t make out who the choreographer was, but I have a feeling it was the older gentleman that showed up midway through the dance. The kids were mostly in their teens and the one gentleman was not. He wore a semi see through flowing fire red shirt and he had a presence that sizzled.

Ballet Folklorico Hispano of Dallas disappointed. The choreography was too repetitive and the dancers were focused on being precise. The Jarabe Tapatío is a joyous dance of courtship. They were going through the motions. They were precise…too precise; they forgot to dance! Anita Martinez created this group and her work was represented later on by North Dallas High School students. This group wasn’t as technically precise but they were a joy to watch for they were into it: those kids truly danced!

Sa’diyya & Danza della Luna Performance Company

If there was one group that dazzled it would be Sa’diyya & Danza della Luna Performance Company. This was a belly dancing company. The announcement prior to them appearing on the stage was that they were an “award” winning Dance Company. No mention as to what award they received. They presented a rhythmically complex number which fused Middle Eastern and Brazilian elements. The dancers were decked out in a hybrid of belly dancing/carnival: feathers AND sequins. All I can say is WOW! The five ladies sizzled. I’m not much of a fan of belly dancing, but after seeing them I love it! It was playful, sensuous, expressive, and technically amazing. The dancers were in the moment, and the experience of watching them was infectious. I found myself shaking my head and twitching in my seat in enjoyment. I then noticed most of the audience did too. While all the performances received warm ovations from the audiences, their performance caused spontaneous eruptions of applause during the performance, not just at the end. Truly wonderful.

Though the event is now over, I would suggest to any readers of this review to seek out these dance companies. Even though some of the performances weren’t as strong as they could have been, there was no doubt that there is some talent worth seeing. Most of these companies have performances throughout the year. Dance for the Planet proved that North Texas does have a dance community that we can take pride in.

Pegasus News content partner - MBS Productions

Related stories

• Pegasus News Week in View: Mayday Edition (May 1, 2008)

See more stories in:

• Arts > Fine Arts > Dance

Comments