REVIEW: VSU dance show 'Weaves' many stories
Mar. 3—REVIEW
VALDOSTA — Valdosta State University Theatre & Dance presents an alternatively visceral and thought-provoking dance show.
"Weave" does just that. It weaves several dance styles and images together in a powerhouse showcase of choreography and dancers.
Choreographer Sarah Wildes Arnett's "In Working (Dis)Order" is an abstract work of rhythmic force and grace.
Choreographer Meredith Reitz's "Instaobsolescence" is a lively piece, opening with snippets of music from several songs and dancers as a young woman flips through her phone. The work moves into a dominant music theme with a group of dancers intersecting with one another.
Reitz's "Earth" is the first in a series of dances based on the four elements. The series includes three solo performances, starting with Reitz's "Earth," then concludes with all three dancers working together for "Air." The elemental series is an aerial dance performance with dancers using suspended silks and trapeze swings.
Choreographer Maya Tupek's "Frisson" features five dancers in a running motif, set off by an alarm then a few songs. Thought-provoking work of fear and freedom.
Choreographer Akira Gilmore presents "Water," the second piece in the elements series. She combines subtle grace and bold poses in this aerial work on a circular trapeze swing.
Arnett reveals a real sense of film directorial style with "Cose Dulci Nella Vita: Part I." Set in Downtown Valdosta, this eye-catching film serves as prologue to the second part shown later in the dance show.
Choreographer Melissa Pihos presents a sweeping epic of dance with "Love Lost." She combines steps and voice-overs, dancers working individually and as an ensemble to dissect the grief of losing people we love. Some of the monologues were written by the dancers on stage. Powerful end to the first half of the show.
Arnett's "Refraction III" melds not only her choreography but the costume design of Chalise Ludlow and lighting design of Ruth A. Brandvik into a piece with a stunning visual impact. Two dancers, black and white costumes, tap dancing and "running," in stark pools of light. The dance evokes time travel, even glimpses of the 1970s movie "Logan's Run," possibly, for older audience members.
Choreographer Ashley Jones' "A Tuba In Cuba" is a crowdpleaser. Bright, bold, vivid, colorful. First dance of the evening with male dancers. Dancers play percussive sticks, tapping out a beat. Upbeat music. A liberating experience for dancers and viewers.
Arnett's "Fire" is the third solo work in the aerial elemental series. She performs graceful, bold moves with passion and control on a traditional trapeze swing.
"Vita Alegria" was choreographed by Jones with Arnett and the cast. It is another lively work, with dancers creating the illusion of being more than six people on stage. They melt together into a group then splinter off then gather again like iron filings under a magnet.
"Cose Dulci Nella Vita: Part II" wraps Arnett's eye-catching film with a big dance number in Downtown Valdosta. Wide shots and close-ups make this a high-stepping film.
"Air" combines the choreography and performances of Arnett, Gilmore and Reitz for the final piece in the elemental series. They all take to the aerial silks here for a memorable finale to the series.
Choreographer Eboné Amos' "Welcome To Soulsville" is the dance show finale. Packed with familiar soul songs of the 1960s and '70s, this piece feels like an old-school VSU dance show number — colorful, fast paced and lively. Dancers populate the stage, turning it into the bustling Soulsville, and send audiences out of the theatre in a happy, toe-tapping mood.
VSU Theatre & Dance's "Weave" continues 7:30 p.m. Friday, Saturday, March 3-4; 3 p.m. Sunday, March 5, Sawyer Theatre, VSU Fine Arts Building, corner of Oak and Brookwood. Runtime: Two and a half hours with intermission. Reservations, more information: More information: Call (229) 333-5973 or visit www.valdosta.edu/comarts.
This review is based on the Wednesday evening dress rehearsal performance.
