This fall, Fall For Dance Festival is back again for its ninth annual year. Like always, the festival provides a unique and varied amount of culture and dance techniques.
Ballet West was up first as they danced the Grand Pas from Paquita. The dance was lively as the dancers moved with the perfect combination of strength and elegance. Their shiny costumes, glimmering tiaras, and bright cheery smiles all helped to portray happiness throughout their whole performance. Though at times repetitive, the arrangement of solo dances and group dances demonstrated each dancers individual ability as well as their intricate coordination to an extent that made my jaw drop in awe as I ponder on how hard it is to perform these moves continuously. The male lead was able to portray his masculinity effectively to remind us that ballet is not limited to girls. Overall, this was a great way to start the night off as the music had strong beats to invigorate the audience.
Tu Dance was up next as they danced the High Heel Blues. It was a complete change of pace. For starters, the stage was no longer filled with lights. It was dark and my focus immediately changed to the sound. The music was perhaps the most important element here as it tells a story about purchasing a pair of high heels. It was a comical jazzy song that added pounds of attitude to the already interesting dance which focused on a couple. The sleek and sexy movements and their silhouettes put together an alluring dance that was sensual and playful at the same time. This was by far my favorite performance of the night due to the interesting dance moves and the incorporation of the hilarious song.
The next performance still leaves me scratching my head. Nan Jombang performed Tarian Malam for us next. Perhaps Tu Dance’s performance was so enjoyable that made me expect more from this performance. It still leaves me scratching my head. It wasn’t that it was bad but it just took way too long to build up. At one point, an aura of silence plagued the stage. Eerie screams from the female dancer made me wonder just where this was going. After what seemed like ten minutes, the action finally began as the dancers and drummers moved around like acrobats. The beats quickened as intensity finally built up to a point where the audience was finally paying attention. However, due to dragging out the dance, the intensity became commonplace and the levels of potency began to drop. This performance definitely remains in my mind for the wrong reasons, although I did find their traditional clothing and incorporation of instruments as part of the dance pleasing to the eye.
The final dance quickly helped to alleviate the drought of energy drained by the previous dance. Moiseyev Dance Company quickly livened up the stage and audience with moves that were exhilarating and left behind a good laugh. The whole audience laughed and the comedic vibes the male dancers sent off. This final dance focused on group dances and the blends of color. This created a dance that was pleasing to the eye. It was definitely a great way to end the night as their smiles and cheeriness sent the audience off with energy and the desire for more.
It was a wise choice to begin with the traditional and familiar dance of ballet. It was also a great choice to end with a lively dance that made up for the downfalls of the previous dance. The highlight of the night definitely goes to Tu Dance as it was unique, different, and somewhat contemporary. Overall, the night was interesting enough to receive my praise for an excellent variety of dances.
