Review: Liquidus by Tabula Rasa Dance Theater
At a time when many, certainly myself, may be doubting the possibility of live theatre and dance to adapt to these monumental circumstances, Liquidus by Tabula Rasa Dance Theater proves how live performance can still be stunningly powerful in the virtual format.
Liquidus begins with four NYC performers, who have subsisted without support, unemployment benefits or relief during this lockdown, on screen, each dancing from their own created stage in their respective homes. Although physically separated during the opening sequence, the digital boxes fade as they appear united.
Jonatan Lujan, Argentinian performer who tested positive for COVID-19, begins with his solo “Liquidus Vagus”. His movements juxtapose between gentle fluctuations and mechanical, reminiscent to me of that period of confusion and uncertainty when overwhelmed with media news of the approaching pandemic.
Japanese performer Noriko Naraoka, who also tested positive for COVID-19, performs next. The monotonous music becomes secondary to her gentle, self-comforting dance. She appears to be moving into a despairing embrace of acceptance into being trapped, although longing and reaching for something blocked out by the sound of the relentless machine and persistent beeping.
Winnie Asawakanjanakit, a Thai performer who tested negative for COVID-19, seems to embody being trapped in one’s own mind while in isolation with her eerie, almost ritualistic descent into chaotic powerlessness, her stage becoming a canvas as she brandishes paint on the enclosed box caving in around her.
The piece closes with Mexican performer Felipe Escalante, who tested negative for COVID-19, and is the Founder and Artistic Director of Tabula Dance Theater. Eerie sirening clashing with balletic upbeat tunes sets the tone, as Escalante viscerally explores through patterns of convulsing and stillness the kinds of powerless changes our bodies may go through during this time in confinement, paranoia or illness.
Felipe Escalante
The costumes coordinated by Executive Director Amy Fine Collins, designed by Geoffrey Beene, Noriko Naraoka and Sergio Perez echo the bold bodies and spirits of each dancer's piece.
The music by Felix Huerta creates a haunting soundscape against which the dancers seem forced to fight against, or conform too.
Despite the performance encapsulating an expression of painful feelings during this pandemic, there remains an element of hope. Liquidus seems to ask: can this period of monumental suffering shape change for the future, a positive remodelling of our connection with body and mind to emerge as a more empathetic humankind? Or will we be left in a darker place than before? The performers demonstrate the vitality of art in this time, thriving on the virtual platform, continuing to work our bodies and minds through the unignorable difficulties of these past few months towards a brighter future.
Don’t miss the final performance of Liquidus August 15th at 7pm EST, and visit the Tabula Rasa Dance Theater website for more information about upcoming performances.
Sleeping Beauty Dreams
The legend of Sleeping Beauty has been reiterated by masters since the 14th century, but no one has explored what the princess was dreaming while she slept for 100 years. This question was answered in the New York’s Premiere of Sleeping Beauty Dreams, an innovative artistic performance that unifies dance, contemporary art, and cutting-edge digital technology.
New Yorkers crowded the iconic Beacon Theatre to see artists of different medias draw inspiration from the famous legend and explore the untold story of Princess Aurora’s 100 years of dreams. Combining real-time digital imaging technology, contemporary choreography, electronic music, and new media art Sleeping Beauty Dreams showed that the world of dreams is unique and doesn’t have to be confined by time or space. World famous ballerina Diana Vishneva, performed as Princess Aurora, and Marcelo Gomes, as Prince Peter, are reunited together in a fusion of dance, music, art, and revolutionary 3D digital technology never seen onstage before.
The visuals were a treat for the eyes. Sleeping Beauty Dreams hypnotized the guests with its spectacular imagery colors and it was a feast for the eyes. Every one of Diana Vishneva’s flow of moves was simultaneously interpreted digitally on a screen using motion-capture technology.
Diana’s dancing was full of emotion and intensity as she showed her active range in more modern fare with Choreography by Edward Clug. The real star of the production was the technology which was a truly multi-dimensional experience and everyone probably spent as much time (or more) watching the video projections as the dancers.
In 2019 Sleeping Beauty Dreams will tour nationally to 20 cities and in 2020, internationally. Tickets can be purchased at www.ticketmaster.com. For more information visit www.sbdart.com.
RIOULT Dance NY Winter Gala
John A. MacKinnon and Harsha Murthy were gala co-chairs of RIOULT Dance NY's Winter Gala, “Centered on the Future” and there was much to celebrate. The company will soon break ground on a new home in Queens.
Long-time friends of the company, actress Kathleen Turner and Tony-nominated Christine Andreas performances punctuated the evening. Kathleen sang a special rendition of It’s Only A Paper Moon and Christine sang Hymne á L’Amour (reprising her 2015 collaboration with RIOULT Dance NY). During cocktails RIOULT dancers performed duets. During dinner they performed last season’s premier, Fire in the Sky with music by Deep Purple and costumes by Patricia Field.
The gala honorees included RIOULT board member Joseph W. Armbrust accepting for his longstanding service to the company and his unique expertise in governance. Also honored were members of the Astoria community; Steinway & Sons with Anthony Gilroy accepting the award. For over 160 years they have been not only an integral part of Queens but also of the international arts community. Pascal Rioult proudly announced that the address for the new RIOULT Dance Center, 34-01 Steinway Street, shares their name. Also honored was Kaufman Astoria Studios with CEO Hal Rosenbluth accepting. He gave a moving tribute to their former CEO, George S. Kaufman, who brilliantly lead a revival of film and television production in New York, and passed away just last week at the age of 89.
“As RIOULT Dance NY looks forward to international touring, our 2018 season at the Joyce Theater, and prepares to take residence in the Kaufman Arts District in Astoria, Queens, it is encouraging to be surrounded by so many supporters and well-wishers. Every day I am inspired by my glorious dancers, and buoyed by a generous Board of Directors and dedicated staff. I look forward to deepening our relationships with honorees from the Kaufman Astoria Studios and Steinway & Sons, and creating new relationships with other Kaufman Arts District residents. Together we are forging a new path for RIOULT Dance NY, the greater dance community, and northwest Queens.” - Pascal Rioult
This summer, RIOULT will open the 11,000 square-foot RIOULT Dance Center in Astoria’s Kaufman Arts District with five studios including a flex-studio and performance space with seating for over 100 audience members. The opening of the RIOULT Dance Center will mark a pivotal milestone in RIOULT’s history, not only providing a permanent home for its professional company of dancers, but also offering the community a new world-class dance facility and school.
Photos by Eric Bandiero
Joshua Beamish and the MOVETHECOMPANY present: Saudade
On a cold and rainy Wednesday night, at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Joshua Beamish, choreographer and the leader of the MOVETHECOMPANY, debuted his first full-length dance for New York dance admirers and critics. The piece was a direct reflection of it’s namesake,, “SAUDADE,” a derivative of a Portuguese word that refers to a feeling of longing or melancholy for a feeling of missing love.
Beamish managed to merge two completely different styles of dance, ballet and street-style, in order to pinpoint feelings that are often too difficult for individuals to express through words. The performance could be viewed as a confrontation between feelings that people are too often afraid to admit to unless they are left alone. What made the performance even more memorable was the fact that it was executed by an all-male ensemble, which included six dancers: David Norsworthy, Sean Aaron Carmon, Kevin Quinaou, Dominic Santia, Timothy Stickney, and Lloyd Knight. Although the 21st century has been making history for breaking down boundaries, it is still quite rare to witness an all-male cast perform such a delicate and tender choreography without a lady holding the lead.
As the audience took their seats, and the lights went dim, there was a feeling of suspense and excitement in the room. Although most of the audience knew the dance company and the choreographer behind the piece, no one really knew as to what to expect. However, as soon as the first dancer came out on stage, everyone moved to the edge of their seats. The performance created a storyline of several men, who experience jealousy, anger, madness, love, and passion, which were all expressed through body language and movement. As one solo performance ended, a duet followed, which eventually flowed into a group performance. It was fascinating to witness how complicated issues related to love, such as love triangles, would be expressed through movement without having the words being spoken, or even the music including any implications. However, dance is not just movement; it is also theatre, which was proved true by Saudade. Each segment within the performance, whether completed as a solo, pas de deux, or as a group, produced a stream of intricate emotions, which allowed the audience to be present and be engulfed by the performance. Just as convoluted and fragile as love, each dance portrayed a story that carried those sentiments within itself, resulting in a ride on a roller coaster of emotions.
The performance left the audience in an uneasy state, due to the great reveal of feelings, and how deep and profound the piece was not just to the dancers, but to the viewers as well. The feelings it carried made you reminisce the lost love that once might have existed, but has never really gone quite right. Yet, it had its magic which was worth remembering through the performance just one last time, almost as if it was the final closure.
Performance photos by Ani Collier
Event photos by Jared Siskin/PMC
Youth America Grand Prix 2017
Lincoln Center, New York’s harmonious epicenter, and stage to some of the most acclaimed performances in the world, was the place to be yesterday. Last night, the beautiful New York crowd trekked to the Upper West Side to appreciate some of world’s most renowned ballet dancers. Ballet aficionados, parents, and celebrities alike all assembled at The Lincoln Center’s David H. Koch Theater for the annual Youth America Grand Prix’s (YAGP) Stars of Today Meet the Stars of Tomorrow Gala. This yearly event has become synonymous with the discovery of new dancers, and choreographers, featuring the performances of international ballet stars, while presenting the world’s brightest young dance talent
CBS’s Keltie Knight was the emcee for the evening, and she did an incredible job of pumping up the crowd before the showcase. The initial performances were a display of great potential by the stars of tomorrow, the young YAGP finalists, who put on a spectacle for their families and friends. The audience saved its greatest applause for the conclusion of the first act, where an assemblage of more than 200 plus YAGP dancers took the stage for a grand dance party.
Before the second act, the presentation of YAGP’s inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Bruce Marks, whose accomplishments as a dancer and artistic director could fill this article. Bruce was gracious in his acceptance speech and echoed a very important political message: “Stand up and fight for Art.” The second act began as the more established and world-renowned dancers took the stage and exhibited their world-class moves. Major ballet stars of today such as Svetlana Lunkina and Evan Mckie (National Ballet of Canada), Tamara Rojo and Cesar Corrales (English National Ballet), Skylar Brandt and Gabe Stone Shayer (American Ballet Theatre), and Tiler Peck and Zachary Catazaro ( New York City Ballet) all came to prance their pointe.
Following the splendid show, guests made their way to the promenade for dinner and socializing. Celebrities quickly filled the room as visitors scrambled to get a word in with their idols. A group of gorgeous women particularly caught the attention of everyone, especially the photographers, as camera flashes lit up their beautiful dresses. The amazing group of women were none other than Amy Astley, the honorary chairman, Marcella Guarino Hymowitz, the chairman, Samantha Boardman-Rosen, Colby Mugrabi, Candice Jordan Miller, Ashley Olsen, Mary Kate Olsen, and Lesley Thompson Vecsler who all served as co-chairs. Strolling around the room, there were many other major names such as Chelsea Clinton, Woody Allen, Nicky Hilton, and Tony Gonzalez.
From the amazing performances, to the sit-down dinner and dancing, Stars of Today Meet the Stars of Tomorrow Gala was a truly successful night. However, many young dancers are still in need of scholarships, and we cannot let the next generation of kids filled with talent and promise to miss out on this opportunity.
YAGP is the world’s largest and one of the most prestigious international ballet competitions, as well as a New York-based 501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization. The mission of YAGP is to provide a global network of dance organization that provides scholarship opportunities and master classes for young dancers’ ages 9 to 19 around the world. The YAGP also holds annual competitions in multiple international and national venues that continues for nearly a full year. Each season, selected students from these competitions are invited to New York City to participate in the week-long finals. These promising dancers will receive in-depth mentoring and greater scholarship, professional, and performance opportunities. In less than twenty years YAGP has become an institution – not only for the esteem of its awards, but for the exposure it provides to young dancers to be seen by, and to make an impression on, representatives of ballet schools and companies from across the globe. For more information and how to donate to YAGP, click here.
Photos courtesy of Annie Watt Agency and Presley Ann/ Patrick McMullan