Diversity is the name of the game at the Spring Dance Show in Pickard Theater this weekend—not only as a political issue, butalso in terms of diversity of tone, style and function. The show ranges from political to abstract to classically choreographed, and the result has something to offer for every viewer—a holistic exhibition of dance at Bowdoin.
The show kicks off with “What the Funk?,” created by the class Black-White Boogie: African Derived Dances in America. Despite the class subject, the dance only touches briefly on the racial differences of the ’60s, instead celebrating a multiplicity of styles. The stage becomes cluttered with wild, interesting motion. The energy of the piece is palpable, and the dancers invite the viewer to share in the breathtaking joy of uninhibited dance.
The next piece is “Everything,” performed by Ben Eisenberg ’17. The solo work began as a short study in the class Making Dances, and spun into a longer-form display of Eisenberg’s considerable talent. His body is rigidly disciplined from his legs to hands to face, and he makes excellent choices with the time he is given. His dance is set to the song “Everything” by Ben Howard, which makes for a much more introspective, intimate piece than what comes before.
Eisenberg is alone on stage, but never lonely; he seems bigger than he is, filling the space he inhabits with intense focus and intricacy of motion. It is a smart choice to situate the two pieces together, for his piece is a long exhale after the vibrancy of the opener.
Following that is “Six of One,” performed by Modern III: Repertory and Performance. This piece comes closest to popular conceptions of modern dance. The choreography is impeccable, and each individual dancer is lost amongst precise synchronicity of motion. It is, quite simply, a pleasing dance to watch, full of choreography to admire, and while it lacks some of the effervescence of the earlier pieces’ singular choices, it makes up for that through sheer aestheticism and ability. It is also a longer dance than those preceding; it lingers and transforms itself across different musical styles and tempos. One has to admire the stamina involved, which is touched upon later in the production.
“Wanted” is dance as politics, starring Winston Antoine ’16 as a young man caught up in the thorny injustices of American race relations. There is text here, which speaks of black male incarceration rates and how they compare to those of other races, and a chorus of newscasters describing a suspect as a “young black male,” which repeats over and over again.
Antoine’s movement is high-energy, lithe and tightly controlled—he seems at first to be an actor among dancers, but that impression gives way to his quick feats of athleticism. Eventually, he sheds his black hoodie for a white one, to match the rest of the dancers on stage, and they join together to a Roger Bonair-Agard poem about being loved despite difference, read excellently by Matthew Williams ’16.
If all this sounds a bit on-the-nose, it is, but in a way that lends itself well to dance and feels like it needs to be said. One also gets the sense that the political issues are subservient to the needs of the performance, rather than vice versa, and this makes a huge difference. It is emotionally honest in a way that, like “What the Funk?,” invites the viewer to share in its emotion.
“Running Out of Breath,” a dance originally created in 1976, is the fifth piece on display, and perhaps the most abstract. Like “Everything,” it is a solo piece, but the two are markedly different. Denis Maguire ’15 runs around the stage while reciting memorized text, which, in a touch of self-reflexivity, basically consists of telling the audience he is running around the stage while reciting memorized text. He invites the audience to watch him simply run out of breath: no more, no less.
The result is mesmerizing, especially because it leaves interpretation up to the viewer. Throughout all his recitation, Maguire never actually says anything of substance. The words are there simply to be struggled over, to create a question in the mind of the audience and a spark of inquiry that will hopefully cling to their brains on the way out.
“Water Soluble” closes the production. Put on by Modern I: Repertory and Performance, it is a piece that plays to its strengths, a return to expressive fun after several thought-provoking pieces in a row—which is welcome. It seems more concerned with the making of interesting tableaus and motion repetition than anything else, but there are interesting choices made here, with props like flippers and water bottles. The final segment, set to “It’s Raining Men,” is an absolute delight.
The Spring Dance Show is an introduction to the vast spectrum of styles and purposes encompassed by the concept of dance as a form. It is sound and fury that signifies a great deal, and it bursts at the seams of its hour-and-a-quarter runtime. Anyone in the mood for a night of thought-provoking and well-executed dance should make this a must-see.