On the evening of October 2nd, the New York City Center hosted its 9th annual Fall for Dance Festival. During the course of the night, four independent dance companies conducted their own individual performances. Each of these dances had its own unique style; however, some of them received better reactions from the audience than others.
Ballet West put on Grand Pas from Paquita, the opening act for the night. The Grand Pas from Paquita, a Russian ballet, was a perfect way to kick off the festival. Each of the ballerinas wore large tutus, which is the norm for ballerinas; however, their matching tutus were gold. Rex Tilton, the lead male of the performance, wore tight-fighting pants and an elaborate golden vest. His flashy gold vest seemed appropriate because his performance outshined the rest of the ballerinas. Tilton showed such emotion and passion, often bringing out the best in counterpart, Christiana Bennett. Throughout the performance, Tilton was required to lift her for extended periods of time, and he was able to do so with such elegance and composure. The music of this piece was quite soothing, and this performance ultimately set the bar high for the rest of the night.
Photo Credit: Luke Isley
In my opinion, the masterpiece of the festival was the second act performed by Tu Dance. High Heel Blues was an upbeat and riveting performance that received a large acclaim at its conclusion. Yusha Marie Sorzano, the lead female, expresses her dilemma of wanting to buy a pair of high-heeled shoes, even though they cause her pain. While there was not much choreography in this routine, Sorzano and her partner, Uri Sands, performed their roles very audaciously. Their powerful interactions grabbed the audience’s attention and would not relinquish their attentions, until their routine was over. My only criticism with this dance was the simplistic black dress that Yusha wore. I felt as though a more bold and daring costume could have been chosen to add to her role. Other than that, this duet left the audience yearning for more.
Tarian Malam (Night Dances), put on by Nan Jombang, could not have been placed at a more inopportune time. After such a lively duet, this company had big shoes to fill after the intermission. I felt as though the audience was not as prepared for this dance as it could have been. The dance starts off slow, as a duet, with very subtle movements. It had a very cultural feel to it; however, it took a while for it to reach its height. The dragging on of the performance made much of the audience develop negative opinions of it very early. When it finally picked up, rhythm was an essential element to its “recovery.” More people came onto the stage wearing tribal outfits. They were banging drums and various objects in complete unison. This dance developed its intensity over time, but the audience seemed to tune the performers out before it reached its height.
The finale of the night was the lively collection of dances, known as Moiseyev’s Classics. The Moiseyev Dance Company put on four short, energetic dances that were a thrill for the audience to watch. Much of their dancing consisted of various jumps, spins, and weaves between each other. Their execution was flawless, and one performer even completed an entire circle of jump-spins without faltering. The performers’ displayed their passions, and their vibrant costumes and the loud, playful music only aided to their energy. Their upbeat showing closed the Fall for Dance Festival on a high note.
Photo Credit: E.Masalkov
