Each performance and studio brought very unique stylistic differences and each studio’s aimed impact for the audience varied greatly as well.
ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER
I didn’t necessarily enjoy this performance as much as the others. The music was harshly, industrial which in my opinion suited the performances mechanical and uniform style. Furthermore, the unshapely black smocks which each performer wore added to this uniformity. Although the performance was very robotic and formulaic and at times seemed to be discordant due to the lack of connection between the rhythm of the music and the movements of the dancers, their was an underlying level of unity which allowed the piece to flow and come together.
LUCINDA CHILDS DANCE COMPANY
Of all the performances this was my favorite. The entire time I analyzed each couple and began to see each color with the differing styles of each couple as a part of a documentation of a romantic relationship. Alternately, I saw that it could be a general representation of the trials and tribulations as well as the benefits of a romantic relationship rather than the rocky relationship of one couple. With each movement the audience could see either the tension in the relationship, or a simple dip could be interpreted as the dependency on had on the other, and the red performance I remember as being implicitly sensual. This one truly amazed me because it was a perfect representation of how body language can be utilized to convey so much meaning, its truly like a language of its own.
SEBASTIEN RAMIREZ & HONJI WANG
From the moment Ramirez and Wang entered onto the stage I knew this performance would be different from the others. Even their casual, non costume seeming, clothing gave the performance a different energy completely. Their incorporation of modern street style dancing into traditional ballet was very fun and energetic and also portrayed a relationship between the two dancers. Some of the moves they did were very impressive and evoked verbal responses from the audience. Overall, It was very playful and I feel like it really woke up the reinvigorated and woke up the crowd.
SEMPEROPER BALLET DRESDEN
The final performance was also particularly interesting to me. It was a very complex intertwining of playful, silly dancing and a very serious social commentary. When it began I was confused at whether the singular man dancing was part of the performance or just a transitional skit between performances. I really liked that they were so inclusive and interacted with the audience it added a new level of entertainment and excitement to the performance. Furthermore, the music was really interesting and I like how they incorporated a sort of tribal vibe to it. It was surprising when the performers, in identical suits and ties, sat in the semi circle and the mood immediately became very serious and somber. I think the first round of the performers systematically flailing with the last man falling to the ground was a bit of a shock to the entire crowd. Aesthetically, the circular wave they created was very interesting. I feel as though the choreographer was making a commentary on the cyclic nature of a workingman’s lifestyle, which much of society believes is the norm. It conveyed this idea that we end up living to work rather than working to live and in the end some of us begin to get fed up with this systematic, mundane lifestyle and become bogged down by the tiresome cycle of life (symbolized by the man falling to the ground). Contrastingly, the silly parts of the dance were a reminder to let loose, live a little, and find some joy in the simple things in life even if it is just randomly dancing.
