The Fall for Dance Festival at City Center is a ten-day annual event that features multiple and different dance companies for the purpose of introducing new audiences to various types of dance. It originated in 2004 and has been a tradition ever since. At this event, dances such as ballet, tap, and tango are presented and each of them has a different story to tell. I had the amazing opportunity to experience these “stories” for myself this past Tuesday. (November 1, 2011) I enjoyed each of the four performances but I enjoyed them for completely different reasons.

The first performance was The Australian Ballet directed by David McAllister. For most of this performance, the concentration was on pairs of ballet dancers. The French term for this type of dance would be pas de deux, meaning step for two. When I told people about my reaction to this performance many of them laughed and thought I was joking. I can tell you however that it was no joke. This performance really did make me feel as though I was intoxicated or perhaps under some kind of trance. The movements, the precision, the meaning, and even the colors felt so unreal. I was speechless and completely captivated. It was like nothing I’ve ever seen before. It made me reminisce about my days of ballet as a child. I find that many people cannot truly appreciate ballet until they understand how difficult it really is to execute each step properly and to express the story in such a way that the audience can feel it and relate to it. From experience, I can really admire these dancers and say that they did a phenomenal job.

The second performance was a more comic one in the sense that the mood was lighter, the music faster, and the dancer more humorous. Steve McRAE made the audience laugh without even saying one word. His mix of tap and ballet was conducted in such a rhythm that people, including myself, interpreted it as being funny. The difference in speeds at which he tapped was quite impressive for two reasons. One reason being that tap done at a rapid speed is difficult in itself to do but his decrease and increase in speeds expressed an attitude and I believe that that is what made the audience really interested. The jazz and humor of this performance was entertaining and provided some variety in the festival that most likely appealed to all.

The third performance was the Pontus Lidberg Dance directed by Pontus Lidberg himself. This performance, as well as the following performance, can be classified as interpretive dance. Truthfully I cannot say much about this performance due to my confusion. I couldn’t quite grasp the concept of this dance. I can only state what I believe was the story. It appeared as though there was an individual that was ashamed of his bodily characteristics and due to this shame could not undress along with the others. Throughout the dance it seems as though the group attempts to convince him to join despite his differences. In the end, he finally undresses and joins the rest of his group. It is likely that this was representative of not being prejudice and of accepting others despite their differences.

The fourth and final performance was an unforgettable experience. The images, the words, the story, and the movements are all embedded into my mind. The Hubbard Street Dance Chicago directed by Glenn Edgerton was nothing short of jaw dropping. This dance contained many dancers as opposed to the other dances where fewer dancers were incorporated. Also, for the majority of this dance the female dancers and male dancers appeared to be competing. It was clear that a story was being told through the movements and the sounds that the dancers displayed but it would take more analyzing in order to really understand what it was symbolic of. The counting towards the end of performance was shocking at first, then it became exciting, and finally, after it being repeated twenty times, it became annoying. Being flashed by the dancers isn’t something I particularly enjoy either. As far as this dance goes, I can say that it has its positive qualities such as the deeper meaning but for the most part I rather disliked it.

I couldn’t have picked a better time to attend this dance festival because it contributed to the ideas I have for my dance video, it provided me with inspiration to keep working on the video, and as most dance performances do, it reminded me of why I love dance. Dance is not just something you do. It’s a feeling, a story, and a lifestyle. This festival portrays just that and does an extraordinary job doing so. I will definitely be attending another one in the future!