The ever-lengthening arm of the Kelly Strayhorn Theater continues to operate at Dance Alloy studios, not only with dance classes, but an increasing number of performances that take advantage of the intimate performing space that is available.
The latest was HEAR/NOW, a periodic series devoted to experimental music and sometimes dance. It is raw, spare, sometimes confusing, but the creative side is juicy. The first one primarily centered around music, with movement included.
This time the series framed the dance, where the music was created by the dancers themselves. Maree DeMalia and David Bernabo, the only certifiable musician, per se, on the program, had some choice concepts in their piece.
Maree is a fresh new voice on the local dance scene. In slants revisited/take away the mountain, third in a series, she worked with Dave, who is knee deep in a current dance trend where musical artists don’t just adhere to a fixed position with their instruments, but instead venture into the movement as well.
So they played with bags and lights and shadow and the floor. They both also recorded their voices from writings in a notebook, although there was a technical glitch when the recorder itself fell to the floor and stopped at one point. No matter — it was engaging throughout.
They set up the theme for the evening, Experiments in Dance and Sound, in the ensuing works, all of which created a sound score through the dancers’ bodies. But each had an individual character.
In her work-in-progress, Mom, I’m so sweaty, New York City’s Jaime Boyle did it by the numbers. How do you feel? Five days ago? Five months ago? Five years ago? With a clock strapped to her waist, sometimes muffled when she lay on the floor. It was like being caught in a time warp continuum.
And Ohio State University instructor Abby Zbikowski brought two solos, look at my box for herself and jm, performed by Jennifer Meckley, which had a punk-ish feel to the hard-edged physicality. So you could see the hip hop aura, but stylishly invoking substantive modern dance.
Overall it was an informal shocker how the body and, in particular, the floor could be used in such individual ways…to be both visually and aurally satisfying in its own element.
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Posted by jvranish 
