REBECCA HALE
Reverb Editor
The Fredonia Dance Ensemble outdid themselves this past weekend in Marvel Theatre. Between dynamic genres, scenic features, thought-provoking lighting and outstanding performances, the ensemble delivered an unforgettable production.
Many of the pieces performed this year were extremely theatrical in nature, and some were unconventional. This made the show feel more like a true production rather than a dance recital.
The show opened with “We Got ‘Em,” a fun and theatrical ‘50s piece featuring lip-synched narration by students Kevin Stevens, Chris Victor and Justin Burr. The three men were dressed in business attire, and the background music was a spoken narration by a car salesman. The rest of the dancers were dressed in ‘50s-esque dresses and outfits and danced in accordance with the narrations.
The next piece was guest-choreographed by Rosy Simas, a Seneca native from Minneapolis who dances and choreographs professionally. The piece was titled, “Threshhold,” and the dancers performed slow and meticulous movements that had an earthy feel.
The dancers seemed almost as if they were moving in slow motion, and the balance and strength required to perform this dance smoothly was incredibly achieved. The background music featured voices chaotically speaking over each other, which faded in and out of flute arias and the heavy sounds of a didgeridoo.
The third dance was “Drop, Post & Beam,” choreographed by guest artist Kerry Ring. It featured a beam-like structure which the dancers maneuvered over and hung off of. The dancers demonstrated incredible strength in the way they were able to hang from the beam using only their legs, as well as being able to lift each other.
The movements in this piece were extremely graceful, smooth and beautiful to watch. The piece was slow and was performed to simple music featuring violin. Some audience members were left speechless, and others could be heard murmuring and marveling at the performance.
The final dance before intermission was by far the most ornate. Terry Beck’s “Collecting Gravity” featured many extra scenic elements, as well as costume changes. The piece began with Kevin Stevens singing Randy Newman’s “I Think It’s Going To Rain Today” with the rest of the dancers frozen onstage in black trenchcoats and umbrellas.
The piece continued with Noel Lazor coming to center stage and dropping dozens of apples on the stage. She continued to dance around the apples, kicking and throwing them until they were picked up by the remainder of the cast. Large brown sheets of paper were then spread across the stage, and the dancers slowly stripped down to their nude undergarments and laid down on the sheet, squirming around like worms.
They then wrapped themselves in the paper and milled about the stage until only Courtney Stewart and Adam Ali remained. They performed a beautiful contemporary duet, and then the two of them began arranging the papers around themselves until they were both clad in paper skirts. Ali then crawled underneath Stewart’s skirt and lifted her up into the air, so that she was high in the air with a mass of paper flowering out underneath her.
The piece ended this way with her arms outstretched and apple seeding falling down from the sky. Needless to say, this performance elicited an uproar of applause from the audience.
The second act opened with Helen Myers’ “Pilgrimage,” which featured a live performance of 12th Century music by the Fredonia Chamber Choir. The piece was archaic, and the costumes were custom-made dresses which fit the time period of the piece. The Chamber Choir began their singing in the back of the theater and slowly made their way up the aisles to the stage, where they remained for the rest of the piece.
The dancers and singers alike did a fantastic job of calibrating with each other in this unique performance.
The penultimate piece was “Orion 1,” the third in a series choreographed by Sam Kenney. The piece was extremely upbeat and done in the style of modern ballet. The dancers were mesmerizing, leaping around in and out of synchronization in pastel-colored flowy dresses, which were translucent.
The dim lighting design of the piece made the dancers seem like fairies, and the piece built up in intensity until the final step. During bows, the dancers were all breathing heavily from the intensity of the performance.
The final piece, “Cash or Check,” was guest choreographed by Buffalo professional, Jon Lehrer. This piece was fun to watch, as well as humorous. The dance was comprised of ballroom dance techniques, as well as partner work, though each dancer brought his or her own style to the piece.
Each dressed in a different bright color, the dancers swapped partners throughout the piece. Their facial expressions conveyed humorous points, as well, which had the audience chuckling. One funny point was when two dancers went off stage together and returned looking all trussed up, implying that they had left the piece to fool around; the piece was sexy and fun.
Fredonia Dance Ensemble definitely brought the heat this year with the incorporation of new ideas, and it should be even more exciting to see what will be in store next year, when the ensemble can perform in the new theater spaces, which are currently under construction.