We All Fall for (good) Dancing

It seems as though the word modern nowadays is oftentimes – perhaps too often – associated with abstract, especially when it comes to the arts. XOVER was one of the most unique dance performances that I have ever seen in my life and pushed the concept of “modern” way past what any of us could have expected. At first, I actually believed that something was wrong with the music player, but after a few seconds of watching the dancers continue their routines, I understood that the sounds emanating from the speakers were intentionally distorted. Not many people would call these sounds “music,” but being a long-time fan of psy-trance, which is very similar albeit having actual rhythm and melody, I could sort-of appreciate the exotic nature of it. What I found most intriguing was how the dancers were all synchronized, even without any downbeat to keep them on rhythm. The contrast of the sharp cut-offs in the music and the smooth, fluid-like movement of the dancers made the experience very engaging. At some points, however, the harsh vocals in the Fontana Mix were too much too bare. The perpetual dissonance makes the listener feel like his or her own ears are out of tune or that something is really going terribly wrong with the music player. During the pause that followed, one classmate pointed out that it was mocking opera in a way. I thought about it for a moment and it seemed like an appropriate theory, although I disagree. The opera was there to provide a contrast to the radio static and I felt as though it was added a relieving touch to the piece. Overall, it was not a bad introduction to the modern dance compilation and it contrasted very well with the upcoming performances.

Following XOVER came I can see Myself in Your Pupil, choreographed by Andrea Miller with music by Balkan Beat Box and Bellini. Bellini is famous for creating one of my personal favorite songs – Samba de Janeiro. To me, this performance seemed like the most modern of them all, as well as the least abstract. I, as well as many others in the audience (judging by the enormous standing ovation), could connect with the samba genre of music and the dancing that we oftentimes see in subways, concerts, and even some clubs. Of all the elements modern music has, most appealing to me is the bass. Music can be loud and if it is loud enough, it can hurt your ears. The beauty of bass, however, is that your ears do not do much of the listening. Low frequency notes penetrate your skin and your nerves are what actually feel the beat because they are pulsating, leaving your ears unharmed no matter how loud they are. There was a moment in the performance that had very strong bass emanating from the speakers and it seemed as though my heart was trying to beat along with musical tempo. The music was not all that made this performance stand out the most, though. Miller captured us from the very beginning with the dancing and kept us captivated till the very end with fast-paced moves and the upbeat rhythm. This performance was so engaging that I wanted to go up on stage and dance with them. I was not wearing the proper attire, however, so my dancing was limited to the confines of my seat.

Following the intermission came Vistaar, performed by dancers in very flashy costumes. The Mudgal family clearly has strong ties to the Indian traditions because the set design and costumes accurately depicted how the cultural dances are performed in India. Being of Armenian descent, I recognized some of the instruments such as the Sitar and the familiar vocals. Indian dances are meant to be colorful and Vistaar illustrated that idea perfectly. The combination of gold, crimson, and silver on the costumes really popped out at you. A bouquet of flowers and a few candles, hinting that the dance was for a ceremony – probably a wedding, decorated the set. Although I had some ties to the style of dancing and genre of music, this performance still seemed distant to me, probably because of the lingering emotions from the previous performance. It seemed as though Vistaar should have came immediately after XOVER as a transition from least familiar to most.

The last performance that we saw, The Golden Section, choreographed by Twyla Tharp, had the most technical dancing of the four performances. The dancers were clearly very well trained and prepared for the numerous stunts they were performing. This was also the only performance in which the dancers wore shoes – they were barefoot in the other three. It made me think why the other choreographers chose to have their dancers barefoot, or rather why Tharp did not. It was almost as though the footwear was what gave these dancers the ability to accomplish more on the set. The music was airy and the dancers were deft – a striking combination because this piece screamed out TALENT. The only thing this composition lacked was the necessity for the observer to understand what is really going on; which is not necessarily a bad thing. The lack of abstract dance and music gave The Golden Section an excellent way to end the night, leaving us with a strong impression and understanding of what the meaning of modern dance really is – not too abstract and non-comprehensive, but at the same time curiously different from what we are used to seeing and hearing on an everyday basis.