The 15th Annual Fall for Dance Festival on October 12th was opened by Ballet Hispanico with a series of dances that told a story. The story was telling the hardships of having a duel identity in the United States and Mexico. The responsibility of expressing both cultures is difficult and the dance that expressed that best was the ballet solo with the dancer balancing a sombrero on her foot. The dancer was twisting her body in a series of different motions and the sombrero did not move, it remained balanced. This talented dancer made this look simple, but it is obviously very challenging. The difficult nature of the dance echoes the difficulties an individual can have expressing two cultures as part of their identity.
The next dance was Tangos with Junior Cervila and Guadalupe Garcia. The music for this dance was played by musicians behind the dancers. This really brought the dance alive because instead of just listening to the music, the audience is given the opportunity to see the music created. The aspect of the dance that was special was that instead of an entire group, it was two individuals. This makes the dance less difficult to watch because the audience knows where to point their attention. The two dancers had a developed chemistry and Guadalupe did an exceptional job displaying her athleticism throughout the dance. This performance was traditional; it was a man and a woman dancing together in a ballroom fashion. Th next dance was less traditional in nature.
The next dance drew the loudest and most energetic reaction from the crowd at its conclusion. This dance involved two men dancing a ballet style of dance. Their bodies exerted an energy that electrified the crowd. It was not an upbeat dance, but the involvement of two males using their sculpture-like bodies to convey a message resonated with the crowd. The dancers moved their body in challenging motions and completed athletic lifts. Based on the reaction, Acosta Danza stole the show. The next dance, however, was the prospected main event.
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater was greeted with a wave of excited applause. This group was the most known of all the dance associations and it was expected for them to really do something special. The company came out with various colors, these costumes were aesthetically appealing and seeing these costumes increased my expectations. The dance company did not perform to the level that was anticipated. The dance told a story of a neighborhood that involved a man who seemed to be interested in a woman who was already in a relationship. This story did not have a conclusion or any type of climax, making the dance less appealing. This dance was not the main event I anticipated and not the main event others anticipated.
The Ballet Hispanico was the most successful performance of the night. It told an effective story. The story of multicultural identity and the difficulty of representing their identity was clearly expressed. All the dancers displayed unsurpassed athleticism in their dances as a group and in their solos. This performance set the tone for the night and really grabbed the audience’s attention for an overall brilliant show.
