BAM and Dance Reflections by Van Cleef &Arpels Present Corps extremes

Corps Extremes at BAM

Choreographed by Rachid Ouramdane

Video: Jean-Camille Goimard

Music: Jean-Baptiste Julien

Chaillot- Theatre national de la Danse

Corpse extremes is a testament of human resolve, energy, strength and desire.

Most brilliant Rachid Ouramdane expresses a desire and the desire is, " To be really focussed

on the fascination triggered by the wish to take off, to drifft, a state of weightlessness, a suspension."

That manifestation of Rachid Ouramdane comes to life in Corps extremes in mesmerizing reality.

It is beyond human power to reach such heights of desire, such an out of body experience, to overcome

 unfathomable fear and achieve and fulfill that desire,  is beyond human ability but with resolve,

 concentration, will and belief in yourself and the divine power bestowed upon you and the

talent and perseverance, you reach the heights of your imagination and create and Rachid has created

 with all those blessings the most incredible dance piece the likes which I have never seen before and I

 am so, so...

 fortunate to have seen it. It makes you believe again in human power and the will to accomplish the

extremes of your desires.

The set has an impressive big wall across the back of the stage.A long rope crosses high above.You see a highliner, a tightrope walker (amazing Nathan Paulin) His balance and control is a miracle happening right in-front of you.  Sometime the wall transform into a screen and most beautiful images of French Alps, the sky and the earth are projected.  You forget that you are at the Howard Gilman Opera house.  The stirring music by Jean- Baptiste- Julien accompanies the images of natural landscape which transport you to a dream world in between the sky and the earth wondering and holding your breath , watching, at the divine power and lack of fear which is a major factor of all humans, not imbeded in these marvellous human beings to create works of such enormous beauty and courage.

There are acrobats and climbers of un-believable ability. They throw each other up in the air, on the wall and then catch them while they just fly back into your hands and arms as weightless, fragile and soft feathers. You have to see these craftsmen, atheltes  fullfilling their dreams with extreme power.

Watching Corps extremes was one of the greatest experience of my life.  Most of the time I felt I was flying with them,  jumping high above,  falling safely back on earth.  What a dream I was dreaming while I was still sitting at the majestic Opera house where audience was riveted. At the end we all stood 

and  in ravenous disbelief gave standing ovations at the performers god given ability, talent and the will to achieve their dreams and desires and making us part of that adventure which also took us above the sky for a little time.  I felt like a singing bird flying with Nathan Paulin...Oh! how I wish...

I am also very blessed that I was given the chance to see human beings who are so capable and equipped with divine energy and power to do and create such beauty with such strength.

REVIEWED by BINA SHARIF - Member of ATCA

Editor/publisher: artsinternational.blogspot.com

Email: binashariff@gmail.com

mobile: 212-260-6207

HOW TO BE A DANCER IN 72.000 EASY LESSONS AT ST. Ann's Warehouse

HOW TO BE A DANCER IN 72, 000 EASY LESSONS

By Michael Keegan-Dolan; Choregraphed and performed by Michael Keegan-Dolan and Rachel Poirier

Directed By Rachel Poirier and Adam Silverman

How to be a dancer is a memory dance and theater piece.  Michael Keegan who came from a big familyrecalls how he always wanted to be a dancer but his feet were a problem. He was told that with his pigeon-toed feet, it might be very hard to be a dancer but that's what he desired the most and inspite of all odds he joined a ballet school where he was the oldest boy in the class.

In a bare room, there is a huge crater and Michael and his dance partner Rachel Poirier (extremely energetic and skilled in more than one way to say the least) opens it and take out certain items, such as flowers, tools and even a colorful children bicyle.

They set up the stage. right infront of us. Poirier happily rides that bicycle in a joyous manner. She is an amazing and fascinating presence throughout.

The story is about Michael growing up as an Irish boy surrounded by lots of brothers and sisters and

big dreams to dance. He was told by a teacher, " Is there anything else you might like to do with your

 life?" But no, that's all he wanted, He was obsessed with dancing.

He eventually moves to England where in the 1980s he is not welcomed because the violence of 

I.R.A. He was an outsider, a foreigner and lonely but with persistence and circumstance he turns to choreography and theater and dance and eventually achieved great success as a dancer, and a choreographer.

His last appearance as a dancer was in 1994 but he rose to acclaim as a choreographer of Opera and started his own company, Teac Damsa with Rachel Poirier.This is the story of his life told by him with great sense of humor and pathos. He is a superb story teller,

He doesn't dance much in the piece, but is a master of spoken words. 

It's the most mesmerizing Rachel Poirier who is blessed with incredible talent of all kinds. She can sing, she can act, she is an expert with handling the props, jumping up on the crater, coming down with ropes and she can dance. Oh! can she dance? Yes, and yes again.

The highlight of the show is a fifteen minute solo dance by faboulous Rachel Poirier to Ravel's "Bolero". It's breath taking, she is lighter than air, she floats, she moves like a dream, she is so absorbedthe moment and throughly enjoying and enjoyable. What an ability, what a talent!  It was amazing to watch every move she made on that stage. She is totally blessed with talent and grace.  Both Rachel and Michael choreographed the dance and thay did a marvelous job.

Everyone should make an effort to see this vibrant show. I loved it.

REVIEWED

By

BINA SHARIF

ATCA MEMEBER

Editor/Publisher: artsinternational.blogspot.com

Email: binashariff@gmail.com

Mobile: 212-260-6207

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BROKEN CHORD AT BAM

 BROKEN CHORD AT BAM

A memory of a difficult relationship between the colonised and coloniser, shaping their existence of resentment with each other in South Africa through dance and music and their history of the past and the present.

It's about a particular memory of a 19th -century Westward journey of an African choir.

This amazing dance piece begins in the darkness. After a few seconds the dim lights refelect a man (Gregory Vuyani Maqoma) twirling around and around with a long white chord. Brilliantly focused dim light has a stunning effect on the dancer and the chord which is moving in a fascinating snake like movements. In the mean time we hear faint sounds of a song which eventually becomes louder and we see four vocalists, Tshegofatso Khunwane, Luvo Rasement, Nokuthula Magubane and Avuya Ngcawent and the choir of Trinity Wall Street walk in and settle in the back row. 

The song by the vocalists is melodious and haunting at the same time.

Their story is of a group of young African singers travel to Britain, Canada and America by boat. Gregory Maqoma is so equipped with his dance movements that we really believe by the movements of his feet and precise steps that he is in a boat. This imaginary journey is just breathtaking. 

Finally their songs and dance swells with joy and anticipation of seeing London and then the excitementis replaced by racism and colonial attitude of power and control.

In one of the most effective though very painful scene,  all members of choir circle the African vocalists and dancers and shout at them telling them to, "Go home, why are you here? you are not like us." these words chill you to the bone. The choir is all white and the African group is all black and though the play/dance is taking place in 19th Century and here we are in 21st Century,  we are aware that we have heard these racists words recently and history seems like repeating itself. The white choir sings, "God save the queen." African performer also participate and asks, " You think I am only here to be a good black, just to sing for you, but in truth I am here to disrupt and dismantle." 

This beautifully rendered piece is about the clash of cultures which are unfortunately still going on.

The scene I loved the most is when the whole group do a dance and song out of kneading flour and there appears stunning shafts of light as if their hands are burning in fire. and we hear these words, "I want to go home." The brilliant lighting design is by Ralf Nonn.

This dance and song represents the global tensions in a mesmerizing manner, a very difficult task made throughly moveing and enjoyable by the whole cast, the choir and Maqoma who has such sense of command and balance over every step he takes on the stage and Thuthuka Sibisi, the great Composer.

So very thankful to BAM for bringing such facinating cultural events here in NY and just a train ride away, we are exposed to amazing countries and their glorious cultures.

REVIEWED By

Bina Sharif

ATCA

Editor/Publisher: artsinternational.blogspot.com

email:binashariff@gmail.com

Cell: 212-260-6207