I’m not entirely sure what I expected from the World of Dance show. I knew it was popular; tickets were a rare commodity and the entire De Jong Concert Hall was full up to the balcony. I went on Thursday, painfully aware of my singularity, feeling entirely isolated from the groups around me.
And then it started. Fog and a full moon set the stage for the rhythmic jingle of the International Folk Dance Ensemble’s Romanian dance. I was completely, utterly entranced.
In general, I loved the International dance pieces, was extremely confused by the Ballet, enjoyed the Ballroom couples, and was neutral about the Contemporary dance. I loved the cultural differences presented in the Romanian and Hungarian folk dances. The precision, as I previously said, completely blew my mind. I was in love with the idea that they were making their own music to dance to and I was very impressed with their inner metronomes.
Normally, I’m a fan of ballet, but I could not for the life of me decipher the story the dancers were trying to tell. I was left scratching my head, trying to make sense of the vaguely non-ballet ballet that was occurring on the stage below me. I admit that I really liked the Tango Sabroso, if only for the fact that it finally had a story and a purpose I could follow.
Ballroom has always fascinated me, and though A Daisy in December confused me like ballet had, Kaboom was one of my absolute favorite numbers of the night. I loved the 1920’s flapper vibe the ladies had, and the fun dynamic they threw into their steps. I wasn’t totally in love with the costumes for High on the Mountain Top, but I appreciated the sunset-like aura they gave the dancers.
I’m still not entirely sure how I felt about the contemporary performances. All In A Day… was too hard for me to follow. I felt like I was watching this strange interpretive dance of a pre-history world of hunter-gatherers. I kept waiting for them to evolve and make the dance into this story of the history and journey of mankind, but it they did that I totally missed it. I can’t deny their talent, but they didn’t completely win me over. However, the Wheelenese Waltz was by far one of the best numbers of the night.
As the performance progressed, my case of the “isolations” disappeared. The theater became a community as we laughed together, nearly cried together, and were generally awed together. By the end, I didn’t feel awkwardly alone: I was with a group of people who had just shared an amazing experience with me.
I also like the Kaboom piece. It was a 1920 throwback that I throughly enjoyed. I did not know how I felt about some pieces either, but I agree with you when you say that by the end, we were no longer alone.
ReplyDeleteI went alone too-but I definitely agree that the audience was unified by the end of the performance.
ReplyDeleteWow, I have to agree with Ms. Zitting as well as your description, of the final unity that was attained despite the fact that some of us went alone. You're description of the first piece by the Folk Dance Ensemble's when they performed the Romanian Dance captured my exact feeling also.
ReplyDeleteI too went alone, however, like you, did not feel alone once the performance started. Each performance seemed to have something personally applicable to me that kept me engaged. Good essay and ideas!
ReplyDeleteGreat take on the experience Jessica! I didn't understand the hunter gatherers number either, however I did enjoy the part where the girl climbed up on the backs of a few other dancers and rode off into the sunset, mainly because it was so bizarre. I could totally see students trying to perform that move themselves once they got back to their dorm.
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