Living outside the…… box of anything I have seen before……
By Julia Lisa
Monstah Black, the Artistic Director and Performer, created not only a mesmerizing dance show but also an inspiring vocal and audio piece. Moving and harmonizing with the recorded music (Monstah wrote and produced) is no easy feat. These modern/experimental/weird dances turned very erotic at times and had a Rocky Horror vibe. I wanted everyone to get up and do the Time Warp. I also got this vibe from the footwear of Monstah. He wore fabulous sparkly super platforms or no heeled platforms that made him stand on the balls of his feet and look like a dinosaur.
These dance pieces addressed issues like gender politics, and aspects of living or finding a way outside the…(box). Many dances seemed to be about freeing the oppressed in these situations by taking off restrictive clothing and opening umbrellas. In one part the “box” was represented with masking tape squares on the floor and walls, where the dancers confined themselves. I was left with the question, “How do we get in the box in the first place?”
Monstah’s three Starclusters help perform these stories, his female back up dancers, who resembled punk pixie ballerinas with their bright pinks and purple tutus, leggings, and sparkly faces. But my favorite dancer was Jupiter, Andy Miyamotto, who reminded me of Aaron Yoo from Disturbia and Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist. He came out first and started giggling and quietly dancing like he was listening to the radio, making everyone in the studio audience laugh. Through most of the show you could find him off in the corner dancing his heart out by himself, like a DJ watching over a dance club doing his thing.
Through these performers I have come to the conclusion our society has built the box around us, and Monstah has smashed his way out.
DanceBrazil
Julia Lisa
3/22/09
DanceBrazil at the Skirball Center at New York University, combined dance and capoeira, the traditional dance/martial arts form developed in Brazil by slaves to practice fighting. Strong, sexy, Brazilian dancers now perform it.
Act I: Ritmos (rhythm) was a colorful, energetic, and fun taste of Brazil by Jelon Vieira. The capoeiristas playfully danced and fought with each other through tight, precise choreography. The timing had to be, and was impeccable. Dancers flipped and kicked so precisely, just missing the others heads. Ritmos had a realistic feel to it, like being on the streets of Brazil with the dancers being part of a well-trained street crew. At times they would try to top each other’s moves and show off for the audience. Other times they moved completely in sync. The mix of Latin and African (Afro-Brazilian), capoeira, and break dance styles were accompanied by a lively band of Brazilian musicians (led by Tote Gina), whose rhythms from the drums seemed mimicked in the movement on stage. These sexy, powerful dancers maintained extremely high-energy throughout this piece. Their controlled movement and bare bodies displayed their incredible strength. The male dancers wore no shirts most of the time and the two women wore only bras with white or bright color pants. The nearly naked, muscular dance gods enthralled the audience. Ritmos had a variety of solos, duets and group numbers of continually fascinating, fierce, lyrical movement.
Act II Premiered Inura (manifestation) by Carlos Dos Santos, Jr. This piece was more of a modern, contemporary dance style with a tribal premise. The program said, the piece conveyed the power; sharing; teaching; understanding; respect; desire; humor, and manifestation. The intense live music of Inura by Tania León created a spiritual atmosphere, which the dancers adapted to their movement. The two women wore goddess costumes, one of gold and one of blue. With the help of the strong-bodied men these goddesses executed the most incredible lifts as if they were weightless. One man laid down a reflective board that he then proceeded to dance on. A beam of Burke Wilmore’s light fell from directly above casting a glow about the dancer, who created the most beautiful shapes with his body. Projected on the back wall throughout this piece were drawings of eyes and faces, like those found in a tribal temple. These images by artist Guilherme Kramer set the stage for the spiritual energy.
These two contrasting pieces complemented each other, and captured the audience. I imagine a common thought while leaving the theatre was, “I have to work on my abs.”
‘Sooner Than You Think response
Julia Lisa
3/22/09
“Places and spaces and all the rest is fiction.” These first words projected on screens started Jeremy Nelson & Luis Lara Malvacias’: Sooner Than You Think. I wish they referred to the end of this monotone piece. This interesting phrase had nothing to do with the hour of unrelated elements; a recurring video of trees and telephone poles through a moving bus window; four flats that the performers moved around to make different shapes; weird movement that had no clear meaning; and sporadic beeps and tones for music. It seemed like a bunch of mismatched puzzle pieces had been forced into a picture, creating nothing.
Having about 10 possibly very talented dancers rolling a ball across the floor, walking in circles, and writhing on the floor was a waste of dancers. One of them had the stage to himself, and just hit his head against a wall over and over. I wished that had been me. I sat there, in pain, trying to think of what they could be going for and what I could possibly say that didn’t involve my dislikes. I found the performers must be very dedicated to the art of dance to endure this piece. They also have amazing memories to remember the “choreography,” which had no corresponding music or story. They also committed themselves to the work 100%, taking it very seriously, never smiling. In what could have been interesting, one of the two main performers had a “scene” where he had a breakdown in gibberish. Even though he spoke nonsense, the audience could still understand what he felt, just as it would be in a dance. It was the most exciting part. But they moved on without relating it to the rest of the piece.
Surprised, I discover that the music was live. Ivo Bol sat in the back of the theatre with his laptop putting together sounds. Unlike traditional dance pieces where the dancers move to the music, this piece did the opposite.
The first 5 minutes of “music” I found interesting. The sounds of a campfire crackling and burning with the chirps of crickets played. For the last five minutes I found myself praying for it to end and wishing for a wall against which to hit my head. Whatever Nelson and Malvacia had aimed to achieve seems to have missed the mark. But seeing bad shows made me appreciate the good shows even more.
The New York City Ballet Review
By Julia Lisa
5/11/09
A night of concentrated dance, contemporary discoveries and classic fairytales enchanted an audience on May 8th. Friday evening at the New York City Ballet in Lincoln Center featured 3 wonderful and unique ballets.
George Balanchine, who is now held up as the greatest choreographer ever, created The Four Temperaments, first performed in 1946, based on the four humors corresponding to a different personality type. Today the choreography consists of the same brilliant moves, but the kicks and leaps are higher and the turns are tighter. The ballerinas wore traditional leotards and tights in front of a backdrop of Mark Stanley’s colorful lighting. Balanchine wanted the audience to focus on the dancing without distractions. When the mellow temper came out alone on the stage the piano soloist, Susan Walters played the somber tune. Mellow man struggled with himself to join the three vibrant circling women and would be pulled down to the ground by his mood. This piece had no purposeful story but enthralled the audience.
La Stravaganza by Angelin Preljocaj has been around little more than a decade. This more modern ballet, danced barefoot and with electronic music and sounds, still has a strong balletic foundation. 3 contemporary couples in earthy tones and 3 right out of the 17th century in colorful peasant garb explored sensuality, relationships and violence though their segregated dance styles. But curiosity for the other party led one girl to discover true love. The sounds of birds chirping and water trickling opens the dance as 5 of the earthy dancers intertwine hands and move mesmerizingly like flowing water while our Pocahontas stand off watching. When the couples from the 1600s appeared from beneath a rising upstage curtain as if they just touched down from their spaceship the music became very robotic and futuristic. These historic aliens caressed each other’s feet and rolled around on the floor. Preljocaj composed his classic merger of fantasy and reality in La Stravaganza.
Chaconne by the brilliant Balanchine premiered 33 years ago on this very stage. According to the program Chaconne comes from a phrase used by composers in the 16 and 1700s to end an opera in a festive mood and this dance certainly lived up to its namesake. With a large ensemble of lords and ladies in whites and mints this classic courtly ballet ended the night in a delightful flourish. The ballerinas spun on perfect point as the strong-bodied men supported them.
The evening offered wonderful and diverse program that the New York City Ballet is known for.
In less than a decade, Emmy award-winning choreographer and hoofer Jason Samuels Smith has emerged as a leader in the tap dance world. For the 
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