While reading Jessica Sun’s Critique on Alessandro Sciarroni’s Folk-s will you still love me tomorrow?, I found myself agreeing with some of her main arguments and ideas while at other times taking a different stance on the same aspect of the performance. Nonetheless Jessica’s description and analysis of the performance was a pleasure to read. Because of the composition of this performance it is hard to describe the choreography itself. With so much repetition in the performance the reviewer must focus more on the changes in the performance environment throughout the duration of the piece. Critiques on this piece should also include the emotions and thoughts of the audience as the performance progressed because the performance is aimed towards engaging its viewers. I enjoyed Jessica’s final sentence of her review in which she says, “It was almost impossible for the audience members to talk about the performance as everyone filed out, with the constant rhythm still beating in our minds.” As I exited the theatre I still felt the beating rhythm in my chest and in my ears. Jessica’s side note at the end of the post was interesting. I myself had not thought about that connection but after reading her thoughts I began to agree with the contrasting connection between Folk-s and Venus’ How long you can hold and absence? I applaud her for thinking of that connection between the two extremely different pieces.

I saw Alessandro Sciarroni’s performance on Thursday October 1st. The performance space of New York Live Arts contrasted traditional theatres with its lack of curtains that usually block the audience’s view of the wings. Before the lights were raised on the dancers, the performance had started with the repeating stomps and slaps of the dancers feet and hands. The use of voices during the beginning of the performance was implemented as a source of communication between the dancers as all but one were without sight. I found this amazing. Without sight these dancers still performed this synchronized progression of steps and stayed in set patterns without straying. I noticed a call and repeat dimension to the circle of dancers in which one dancer would add a short segment onto the growing choreography and the rest of the circle would then repeat the pattern and continue forward.

As the lights slowly raised on the dancers I noticed the contrasting costumes of the dancers. While Alessandro was clad in lederhosen the rest of the dancers were in a variety of modern clothes that seemed hastily chosen. Questions regarding the topic of traditional versus modern ideas began to float into my head. These questions grew in numbers as throughout the performance, as experimental modern soundscapes were layered onto the traditional folk choreography. As the repeating string of choreography got to full length, the dancers began to separate into groups and later pairs to create patterns on the stage with the moving bodies. Vignettes of dance were interspersed between periods of silence. The sections of silence helped to break the fourth wall that is usually present between performers and the audience by giving the viewers the ability to see the dancers relax and walk around as if they were not performing which created a sense of community as if the theatre was one.

While in the beginning the dancers communicated using their voices, throughout the rest of the piece they used eye contact as well as small smiles and laughs to connect with their fellow performers. There were very few moments in the piece in which a dancer was not making eye contact with one of the other dancers on stage. This constant contact helped to keep dancers on the same page with timing and spatial awareness. A majority of the performance was engaging for the viewer, however, at times the repetitive choreography became too much and the brain began to unfocus from the subjects on stage. The brain drifted with the music somewhat forgetting the dancers on stage doing the same steps they had been doing when you last remembered. The changes and abrupt stopping of the music helped jolt the audience back into focus to enjoy the next segment.

While the piece was repetitive, small changes in music, patterns and choreography helped to keep the piece moving. The underlying give and take between traditional and modern aspects helped to create a unique performance. Alessandro Sciaronni’s performance had the audience laughing, smiling and stomping along to his take on traditional Bavarian and Tyrolean dance even after the last dancer had left the stage.