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<p class=""><span style="font-family:Palatino">GROUNDWORKS at Cain Park;
future dance programs</span></p>
<p class=""><span style="font-family:Palatino">Roy Berko</span></p>
<p class=""><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Palatino">(Member,
Dance Critics Association)</span></p>
<p class=""><span style="font-family:Palatino">Dance has long been
perceived as an art entertainment for the wealthy, educated and performance
trained.<span style> </span>Terms such as “fifth
position,” “adagio,” “camber,” “shag,” and “pirouette” are foreign to most
people.<span style> </span>Dance styles such as
hip hop, Tango, jazz, Samba, and Broadway may be terms that have been heard,
but not known as a specific type of dance.<span style> </span>This combination has made attending dance programs a “no go”
activity for many.</span></p>
<p class=""><span style="font-family:Palatino">This perception seems to
have changed lately with the advent of such television shows as DANCING WITH
THE STARS, but most importantly, SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE.<span style> </span>The latter takes unknown dancers
trained in a multitude of styles, and puts them into an “American Idol”
competition with dance<span style> </span>judges
explaining what the contestants are doing and why they are proficient in
specific styles.<span style> </span>Thus, the vocabulary
of dance, and the appreciation of the athletic nature of this form of the arts,
has made the art form more popular. </span></p>
<p class=""><span style="font-family:Palatino">An awareness for the role
of choreographers also has been nurtured, and names like Mia Michaels, Sonya
Tayeh, Mandy Moore, Travis Wall and Tyce Diorio have become known, and their
talents highlighted.</span></p>
<p class=""><span style="font-family:Palatino">This new awareness places
additional pressure on local dance companies to produce higher quality
performances and more creative and broader classifications of dances as
audiences understand what us happening on stage.<span style> </span></span></p><span style="font-family:Palatino"></span> <p class=""><span style="font-family:Palatino">As overheard between
several people at intermission of the recent GROUNWORKS DANCE Cain Park
concert, a question arose as to why local companies, some of whom are short on
proficient male dancers, don’t tap into the SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE
performers, not only the finalists but even some of the more proficient cast
offs.<span style> </span>Also discussed was, “how
about doing some of the works of the program’s innovative choreographers, which
are often seen only once and then thrown onto the choreographic junk pile.”</span></p>
<p class=""><span style="font-family:Palatino">This is not to say that
GROUNDWORKS, David Shimotakahara’s little troupe of 5 needs overhauling, but
realistically Damien Highfield should be getting near the end of his long dance
career, and though Gary Lenington is moving more easily since he has adjusted
his body size, the artistic director may soon be needing to search for some new
males.<span style> </span>As for the females, he is
in good shape.<span style> </span>Felise Bagley is
still the best female dancer in town, adorable and dynamic Noelle Cotler has
nicely replaced Amy Miller, and Annika Sheaff is a strong soloist, but her
height and movement profile sometimes make it difficult for her to blend with
the petite Cotler and Bagley.</span></p>
<p class=""><span style="font-family:Palatino">Performing before an
appreciative opening night house in Cain Park’s Alma Theatre, Groundworks’
performance was a nicely balanced program.<span style> </span></span></p>
<p class=""><span style="font-family:Palatino">BEFORE WITH AFTER, a 2003
piece by Shimotakahara, with composed music by J. S. Bach, found the dancers
flowing to the classical sounds, with the movements clearly paralleling the
rhythm.<span style> </span>The piece
acknowledged life’s encounters, crossed and re-crossed relationships in what
might be termed “physical poetic responses to Bach’s compositions.” Highlights
included classic movements by Bagley, appealing facial expressions and body
creations by Cotler, and athletic actions by Sheaff. </span></p>
<p class=""><span style="font-family:Palatino"> </span></p>
<p class=""><span style="font-family:Palatino">WAY LEADS TO WAY (2013)
was signature Amy Miller.<span style> </span>The
company’s Associate Artistic Director was a powerful, controlled, compelling
dancer.<span style> </span>Her choreography mirrors
those traits.<span style> </span>Writhing, extended
gestures, strong springs, running, and body thrusts combined to illuminate
“Lusine,” a sound piece described as “down tempo, placid, abstract hip-hop,
haunting ambient bipping/skipping techno.”<span style> </span>Danced in shadows, the mood was enhanced by Dennis Dugan’s
lighting.</span></p>
<p class=""><span style="font-family:Palatino"> </span></p>
<p class=""><span style="font-family:Palatino">Award winning
choreographer Doug Elkins started his dance career as a B-Boy, a break dancer,
is noted for combining “modern dance, hip hop, martial arts and ballet with a
touch of [Buster] Keaton and [Charlie] Chaplin”<span style> </span>His dance creations are filled with humor and challenging
movement.<span style> </span></span></p>
<p class=""><span style="font-family:Palatino"> </span></p>
<p class=""><span style="font-family:Palatino">The very entertaining six
part, MY HUMMINGBIRD AT THE HIGH LINE (2012), was set to musical pieces on the
themes of love and creativity. The dance composition was inspired by
writer<span style> </span>Jarod Kintz’s “If my love
could be represented by a blur, it would be the beating of a hummingbird’s
wings.<span style> </span>Did you know my love is the
only love that can fly backwards?”<span style>
</span></span></p>
<p class=""><span style="font-family:Palatino"> </span></p>
<p class=""><span style="font-family:Palatino">Songs such as “A Lot of
Living to Do,” “Sway,” “I Got You Under My Skin,” and ”Dis Quand Reviendra Tu,”
were blended to make for a jive, rumba, modern ballet mélange of classic,
modern and contemporary moods.<span style> </span>The
amalgamation worked well.<span style> </span>Two
highlights were the coupling of Lenington and Sheaff to create a fascinating
and well-conceived segment proficiently danced to Handel’s ”Acis and Galatea,”
and Bagley and Cotler creating a delightful contemporary vibe while moving to
Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, “Beggin’.”</span></p>
<p class=""><span style="font-family:Palatino"> </span></p>
<p class=""><i style><span style="font-family:Palatino">Capsule judgement: GROUNDWORKS DANCE presented another pleasing
concert before an appreciative audience on opening night of their August 16-18,
2013 Cain Park presentation.<span style>
</span>SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL DANCE COMPANIES!</span></i></p>
<p class=""><span style="font-family:Palatino"> </span></p>
<font><b><span style="font-family:Palatino">UPCOMING LOCAL DANCE PROGRAMS</span></b></font><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Times"><font><br>
<br>
VERB BALLETS, September 28, 2013, “Highlights from the summer repertory and
previews of works by Verb Dancers, Akron Civic Theatre; October 11-12, @ 7 p.m.
World Premiere, SOLDIER’S PROJECT FRESH INVENTIONS @ Dobama Theatre @8.
(<a href="http://www.verballets.org">http://www.verballets.org</a>)<br>
<br>
DANCE CLEVELAND, presents BALLET X on October 5 @ E. J. Thomas Hall, University
of Akron @ 8 p.m. “Ballet X . . . captures the push and pull of
relationships in sweeping partnered phrases.” (<a href="http://www.dancecleveland.org">http://www.dancecleveland.org</a>)<br>
<br>
GROUNDWORKS, October 25 & 27, 2013, Allen Theatre at Playhouse Square,
presents GROUNDWORKS THIS FALL! (a new work by Israeli choreographer Noa Zuk
and a world premiere by Artistic Director David Shimotakahara. For
information and tickets: <a href="http://www.groundworksdance.org">http://www.groundworksdance.org</a><br>
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