“RUN DON’T RUN” – Run, don’t walk, away from this one.
Run Don’t Run, a performance put on by the Brian Brooks Moving Company was unlike anything I have ever seen before. Yes, it was bright, and yes the dancing was there, but that was it for me. The dancing, was just there. It did not feel like a cohesive show, and twenty minutes into it, I felt my head rest on my hand, waiting for it to be over.
The show starts out with strange music, and with even stranger movements by the dancers, who start to push themselves into the multi-colored, elastic strings that occupy the dance floor. Eventually they begin to perform other random movements, which at times were quite exciting; but alas, those were only fleeting moments in a show entrenched in the need to be “different” for the sake of being “different. As a disclaimer, I must admit that this review is bias. I enjoy watching theater, and love going to see a great musical, one that not only incorporates music, but dance and dialogue. Watching this show without any prior knowledge of what it’s supposed to symbolize or be is as confusing as the subway system must be for tourists just arriving in New York. This performance has no guide to tell you what you’re supposed to be seeing and thinking, letting you explore and reflect on this show in your own way. For this particular reviewer, this was not a good thing. There was too much interpretive dance included in this performance, which caused the viewer to want to focus on other things; such as the colorful strings and the surrounding dancers waiting in the shadows to jump in.
Fortunately, there were some glimmers of light in this rather dark and clouded show. The dancers themselves were excellent, being able to contort their bodies into all sorts of different shapes and angles. They were professionals who had pride in their dance, no matter what a critic like me might say about it. In the middle of the hour-long performance, the dancers seamlessly moved the cords out of the way, making a traditional plateau were I was finally able to see some exciting dancing; not just random jumps and seizure-like movements. This part of the show was absolutely mesmerizing, and made me yearn for more of a traditional dance recital, instead of the contemporary, confusing performance that I saw. The dancers seemed to be intertwined with each other, as though they were a yin and yang, both fighting for dominance over the other.Sadly, as this was towards the end of the performance, it ended rather abruptly, and was replaced by more movements that made me lose interest, causing my mind wander off once again. Run Don’t Run is the absolute pinnacle of a performance that wants to stand out, be different, and cause a revolution in the art world; but unfortunately it fails. While it does stand out, it’s for the wrong reasons. Instead of a fluid performance, it felt disconnected and broken, not really going in one direction or another.
Although Run Don’t Run might appeal to some with its strange dances and awkward motions, I would not recommend a visit to BAM to specifically see it. Even though it is supposed to be a “Choreographed” performance, it barely every feels like it. Unless you want to suddenly appreciate classical dance and yearn for simpler, less chaotic times, I would skip this performance.
