For years artists have bravely performed with the ballistics of balls and have awed audiences.  Jugglers, rhythmic gymnasts, and street performers entertain with the suspense of dropping the ball.  Welcome UBA bounce to this group of performers!  UBA Bounce’s performance, however, is like watching the 3D movie version of the other performances- more eye popping color, speedy unexpected acrobatic feats and of course, chaotic challenges of controlling unpredictable balls.  UBA bounce dancers interact with the balls as if they are fellow dancers. Each ball is personified and possesses its own quality and quirks.  Yes, Eva Dean’s UBA Bounce is an innovative and ingenious idea- she is absolutely breaking boundaries with balls.

Appropriate for the lazy, sweaty days of summer, the balls do not bounce during the performance, but rather roll and relax like they are vacationing in the Hamptons away from the bustling bounce of the city.  A variety of balls appear amongst five dancers in ten works choreographed by Eva Dean and you question who controls the movement:  the ball or the dancer?

Of my favorite pieces, Pearl showcases the sophisticated skill of Dean’s choreography.  Dean and Zoe Schieber dance with two other pearl balls that adopt the persona of Charlotte’s “Sex and the City” Park Ave personality.   The fluidity and harmonized movement created the allusion of synchronized swimming.  

Continuing with the water theme, Bounce Surfing channels the audience to an aquarium in three parts.  In “Wave,” George Hirsh and his counterpart, a blue buoyant ball, bring the audience into waves with watery, continuous flux.  While in “Dolphin” the ensemble cast mimics the playful, fluent movement of dolphins.  Like the spectacular at Sea World, dancers flip and balance balls with the agility and grace of dolphins that are always awarded with a huge splash of applause.  The final section, “Surfing,” brought me immediately to the tobogganing penguin exhibit.  The slippery silver balls propel the dancers across the stage and back demonstrating the dancers’ teamwork throughout a piece of slipping and sliding fun.  

In Bounce 09, UBA acts as the main character of the work as a big, bright orange ball.  A kaleidoscope meteor shower of color from supporting actor balls bring the dancers into a Wonka Land experience where bubbles and carefree play transform the stage into a playground.  

The final piece, Samba Poi, utilizes twirling, psychedelic neon light poi balls that immediately transport the audience into the Latin flavor nightlife of Miami Beach.  The sexy samba dance along with the glowing lights is like watching a tropical festivity along the palm tree lined Ocean Drive. 

Throughout the performance I marvel at the dancer’s strength, control, and especially their balance.  Ms. Shieber seems to never touch the ground, constantly balancing and walking on the ball like a tight ropewalker.  The dancers’ work with the ball is like a full fitness regime in itself!  If anyone has exercised using a physio ball, you know it is a killer ab workout!!   The abs of the UBA Dancers definitely give Jessica Biel’s Hollywood washboard abs some serious competition.

Join UBA Bounce in a spectacular show where dancers and balls impress and excite your expectations and imaginations. 

UBA Bounce continues to perform at Dixon Place on:
THUR 19 @ 7:30 pm
THUR 26 @ 2:00 pm
FRI 27 @ 5:30 pm
SAT 28 @ NOON

Photography by Yi-Chun Wu

iDANZ Critix Corner
Official Dance Review by Katie Gibson
Performance:  Eva Dean's UBA Bounce
Choreographer:  Eva Dean
Venue:  Dixon Place
Show Date:  Sunday, August 15, 2010
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A hot night of dance at Central Park Summer Stage begins with audience-thrilling performances by winners of this year’s DRA, Dancers Responding to Aids Competition.  Nine women and one male dance with passion and conviction, conveying silent fury within.  Seated in silence at a table, the dance dialogue begins with the women’s white dresses twirling as they spin out of their chairs to the floor, rising and falling in record speed.  A male soloist shows his individual strength by powerfully taking the women up in the air with lifts and turns.  Gesturing of the hands specifically express what otherwise could be spoken or felt between women and men as they strike out above others on the table.  In a piece called Awkward Silence, there is nothing to be silent about it.  Intensity and precision is felt as the music ends, but the dancers continue to move powerfully in unison.

New Jersey Dance Theater Ensemble immediately follows this performance with dancers rushing forward with explosive jumps first in a trio then all.  An emergency and freedom bellows out from the music that the dancers react to in pain.  They walk slowly to the percussive beats then repeat a sequence of intricate fast movement in unison.  All rise and fall in a circle then collapse to the floor in an exciting finish leaving the audience in awe.

Dwight Rhoden greets an excited audience with his introduction of Complexions Contemporary Ballet.  Complexions opens the show turning Central Park Summerstage into a cathedral with Mercy.  The dancers are angels in white who dance to various spiritual chants, rhythms, and gospel.  First four women then five men enter and exit through red streamers.  A male soloist in red makes a striking presence as he pleads for mercy with clear technique, extension, and passion.  He acts as a man knocking on the door of heaven.  Men exit lifting him above their heads as women enter with fast bourées.  Large booms in the music signal the climax when the men fall from grace, and the dancers return with black buckets beneath them while circling, rising, falling, and extending into beautiful balletic lines.  At the sound of bells, a soloist woman enters in a purple corset with her long curly hair flowing as she promenades á la second into precise turns and jumps in second position.  On "boom," all run and explode while men fall to the floor before rising into forward attitude swings.  Lines run through each other.  Women dig heels into the floor as a fire-like intensity rises from the earth to above that shakes their upper torsos in a trance.  All of us have experienced mercy-the audience is clearly relating as they sit on edge of seats.

The stage lights lower to black out, and the mood immediately changes.  Summerstage is now a smoky club scene with a solo performance of Moonlight by the extraordinary Desmond Richardson.  He enters with a chair and sits as the audience eagerly awaits his next move. His fluid movement articulates every word and expression of the vocalist. “What color is my soul if loneliness is black,” are the lyrics of the song.  Showing strength and passion, he powerfully extends muscular limbs reaching a leg in extension and an arm in presentation of a red flower to the audience.  His turning inward to contract and releasing out to reach to the audience is beautiful poetry in motion.

The mood remains intense with feelings of love and the blues as Billy Porter and a jazz trio accompany the dancers on stage.  Four couples seductively stand together in hues of red, blue, green, and purple.  Each couple dances their love story expressing a different feeling and interpretation of the songs of Billie Holiday.  Each movement shows the perfect blend of jazz ,contemporary and ballet vocabulary.  The dancers evoke feelings of despair, love, rejection, anger, and the resolve of being together again with a significant other.  It is a beautiful premiere of a new work by the company.

The dancers of Complexions close the show running in place. One dancer starts then others join in filling the stage with excitement and the sounds of U2. Rise, a popular audience favorite, causes immediate response with people standing, clapping and singing along.  Dancers now invite all to enjoy the power of movement for the finale.  Bright hues of red and orange light up the stage as dancers jump, leap, turn, run forward, pass through one another and stop to boogie down and rock.  Complexions finishes brilliantly with several rounds of applause.  What a delight to see the audience leaving in celebration continuing to clap out and dance to themselves as they exit!  It is a “Beautiful Day” for Complexions Dance Company and a perfect night for dance at Central Park Summerstage.

All Photography by Michael Seto

iDANZ Critix Corner
Official Dance Review by Carmen M. Carriker
Performance: Summer Stage Presents Complexions Contemporary Ballet
Venue:  Summerstage in Central Park 
Show Date: August 10, 2010
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I will be keeping an eye on two refreshing new choreographers debuting at The Joyce this week.

From August 9th through the 14th, Kate Weare and Monica Bill Barnes share a marquee with Camille A. Brown and Andrea Miller.  The latter two are both mentioned in Dance Magazine's "25 To Watch" list, and while I love watching both sets of choreographers gain ground, I only have tickets to see Kate Weare and Monica Bill Barnes.  Nothing thrills me quite so much as witnessing fantastic talent emerge, and the two companies could not have been better matched.

Kate Weare Company premieres Bright Land, a series of dances set to the live music of San Francisco-based folk band The Crooked Jades.  Seeing live musicians on stage as the curtain rose is enough to make me cheer, but, given that I am at The Joyce and (supposedly) am sophisticated, I restrain myself. (If there had been a gut bucket, things might have turned out differently.)  The dancers enter after the first number, dancing in silence for the first few minutes, punching elaborate rhythms with their breath and their bodies.  Weare's artistry is genius in its simplicity:  the dancers create, and are ultimately swept up in, the cultural "rhythms" of life that folk music encompasses.  Throughout the piece, layers are literally stripped away as her talented ensemble tackle judgment, envy, love and death.  Kudos to dancers Adrian Clark and Douglas Gillespie for what surely is the most bruise-inducing series of choreographed push-ups ever crafted.  The overall effect is amazing.  Regardless of your appetite for folk music, however, you can't help but think, "Kate Weare is one fierce choreographer."

Smart, witty Monica Bill Barnes, on the other hand, engages her audience on an entirely different level.  No one goes to a dance concert for the comedy. But I haven't laughed this much at a dance performance since I watched Tandi Dupree drop from the ceiling into a split on You Tube. (Google it, people.) But while Miss Dupree induces shock mixed with hilarity, MBB's dancers mix awkwardness with a painstaking desire to please.  Four skinny white girls walk onto the stage in frumpy turtlenecks and woolen school girl skirts and dance to James Brown.  Obviously, this is a prescription for comedy.  They know that you, the audience, are watching.  In fact, they're trying desperately to entertain you.  In this recently reworked piece, Another Parade, Barnes lampoons the relationship between the audience and the performer.  The girls shimmy and shake, mugging and bopping through Bach and Bacharach alike.  At times dark, at times heartbreaking, and at all times unexpected, Another Parade is a smart, inventive evening of dance.

Check out Kate Weare and Monica Bill Barnes this week at The Joyce Theater.  These two companies are not to be missed!


iDANZ Critix Corner
Official Dance Review by Molly Sorohan
Show:  Kate Weare Company and Monica Bill Barnes
Venue:  The Joyce Theater
Show Date:  Tuesday, August 10, 2010
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Pilobolus has absolutely perfected performance art!   After thirty-nine years, Pilobolus still brings innovation that challenges their artists and thrills audiences, which I got to experience first hand this past Monday evening at The Joyce Theater in New York City.  This evening, Pilobolus adds to their superior athletic and dynamic reputation by flaunting their fluidity and grace on top of their ability to tell a story. 

The opening piece, Lantera Magica, takes the audience to a fantasyland of enchanted creatures.  Appealing to the family audience, fireflies drift your imagination into a mythical land.  The colorful costumes and brilliant lighting perfectly complement the graceful dancers, which moves the audience into a tale of fairy like creatures and discovery. 

Pseudopodia, a male solo choreographed to pounding drums, diverts the focus away from the show's theatrics and toward some gravity-defying technique!  This is an amazingly dynamic juxtaposition of music and movement.  The hard, pounding drum is paired with the fluid, flame-like movement of Jun Kuribayashi.  His gasp-inducing solo begins as Jun Kuribayashi somersaults on stage like a fireball, his body rolling like a continuous flame.  Not once does the audience hear his body touch the stage.  He flows with effortlessness, while commanding the stage with complete control.  Bravo!

The first act ends with the much anticipated Contradance, a new work that's a collaboration with Grammy winner Dan Zanes. Contradance continues with the family and story telling theme of the evening by showcasing the ensemble's subtle strengths and talents to portray sweet characters, who convey a moral story.  (Yes, dancers, you better act!)  Even though this piece isn't a momentous, gravity defying piece that is often associated with Pilobolus’s reputation, I appreciate the softness and sweetness of the characters and the company’s embrace of magical stories that really appeal to a younger audience.

The evening is arranged much like a double feature at the movies.  The first act is a G rated movie for families while the second more is a sophisticated highlight of the extreme strength and power of the company.  Upon entering the stage in the fourth number, Gnomen, four intertwined men roll onto stage, demonstrating a huge feat of weight and balance.  The men showcase extreme endurance, but execute it with much sensitivity.   Arial lifts and arm balances make the audience gasp in awe, but more impressive is the emotional execution of the movement.  Choreographed by Artistic Directors Robby Barnett and Jonathan Wolken as a dedication to fellow dancer James Blanc, I also sense that the dancers pay tribute to Wolken, who passed in the spring.  The somber and inward mood of the piece creates a division between the performers and audience.  As a viewer, you observe the pain of loss and devotion to relationships, but also admire the beauty of graceful physicality and emotional strength. 

Megawatt, the finale performance, demonstrates strength and physicality, but in the most raw and abandoned manner.  It is truly an underground piece choreographed to the music of Primus, Radiohead and Squarepusher.  The dancers enter head first in upside-down army crawls (like my new dance term?), which sets the tone of organized chaos.  Creating a full spectacle for the senses, Wolken's killer choreography directly mimics the music.  The audience sees, hears, and feels melody and tempo through a non-stop exhilarating display of high energy and seemingly impossible tricks.  Although constantly impressed by the insane acrobatic stunts of all the members, I am most thrilled by Eriko Jimbo.  One of the smaller members, she moves with fearless abandon and well matches the physicality of the "Lebron James size" men.  Work Eriko!  Megawatt leaves the audience rocking out in there seats.

Pilobolus is performing at The Joyce Theater until August 7th and provides a show that will entertain all ages and artistic preferences.  Go see it! 

Photography by Sara D. Davis


iDANZ Critix Corner
Official Dance Review by Katherine Gibson
Performance:  Pilobolus
Venue:  The Joyce Theater, NYC
Show Date:  July 19, 2010
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Waking into Joyce SoHo for the performance of Deacadance Theater, I am immediately massaged by the sounds of Hip-Hop beats.  Creating the vibe on the ones and twos is DJ Henry C, spinning the joints that hype everyone to get crunk.  Finally the house lights dim and the crowd erupts into thunderous applause, and we are ready.

The first piece on the bill, choreographed by Jennifer Weber, The Cage (inspired by Jerome Robbins), takes hip hop dance soaring to heights as high as the Empire State building!  Brilliantly danced by the ladies of Decadance crew (Ann-Sylvia Clark, Lucile Graciano, Nadia Lumley, & Taeko Koli), these X chromosomes take complete control of the stage like a well-oiled machine.  Their movements are fluid and smooth, a hot knife through butter, and I am ready to be SLICED!  I watch with awe in suspense as they move from slow to fast with ease like waiting for a YouTube video to buffer and load.  Once they get going...   oh how satisfying it is!  These b-girls are highly athletic and strong, flipping through the air and spinning on their heads as if they are Olympic gymnasts.  I score them a 10!

The next piece, The City Breathing, also choreographed by Weber, is an imaginative triumph.  The dancers are on stage dancing in jogging suits, the lights go out, and then, out of nowhere, their costumes light up!   Immediately, at first I think,... hmmm...  "Walt Disney World's Main Street Electrical Parade."  However, delightfully it turns out to be a piece I only WISH they'd march through Walt Disney World!  They seem to disappear and reappear out of nowhere, floating through space.   These dancers are amazing doing steps you would only see men doing and at a speed that would make anyone shout,  "WORK!"   Overall, another perfect score 10.

The next and final piece on the bill is a total slam-dunk:  the world premier, When The Sky Breaks.  For Weber, this is the most ingenious and ambitious piece on the bill that even I would want to get up and join.  All I have to say is “Step-Up 3D”...  That’s right, folks, put on your 3D glasses and pop some popcorn.  With an integrated 3D video created by multimedia artist, Holly Daggers, you feel like you actually are in the middle of the dance.  Weber incorporates a little house dancing, more awe inspiring moves, and the most intricate, isolated, fast-hand choreography I have ever seen.  Weber almost seems to take a page out of The Matrix and Madonna’s Vogue video.  So, I guess you can call this a little Vogue Matrix 2010...  The Decadance dancers are athletic, musical, and beautiful, and I am very pleased with the final product.  Once again I’ll give them a score of 10!

Wow!  Just like the Olympics, 3 perfect 10’s....   And the gold medal goes to...  DECADANCE THEATER!   All the evening’s pieces are masterfully directed and choreographed by Jennifer Weber.  Watch out “So You Think You Can Dance” Decadance is HERE.  A must see!

iDANZ Critix Corner
Official Dance Review by Devin Pullins
Performance: Decadance Theater
Choreographer:  Jennifer Weber
Venue:  Joyce SoHo
Show Date:  July 17, 2010
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Broadway Underground brings down the house on Monday night at BB Kings in Times Square. This show is full of non-stop raw talent, amazing live music, and lots of complimentary comedy that keeps the show rolling with laughter and fun.

Produced by Jared Grimes and Cheryl Cutlip, the performance displays the work of a fresh scoop of young, talented performers in the industry performing innovative works of their own or by other talented artists.  What makes Broadway Underground such a stand-out production is that they really get to the heart of entertainment (rather than just skimming the surface-like most shows of this kind).  Hell, they even have their own band keeping the beat throughout the show and hypnotizing you with a theme song that you leave the theater singing at least for the next two hours.

The show opens with a hot hip-hop and tap fusion choreographed by Jared Grimes. This high-energy piece set to the deconstructed car sounds of Wade Robson’s I Question Mark is full of tight technique, syncopated rhythms, and an unforgettable tap solo.  But this is just one of Grimes' three pieces for the evening.  In Ladies Throwdown, performed by the wonderfully versatile dancers of Tadah, these women really go hard in this sick tap number that displays their precision in sound, timing, and technical prowess. Grimes and Tadah are definitely a talent to watch out for.

Next up we meet Jay Stanton in his performance of Ray Mercer’s The Music In My Head.  Given the size of the stage and length of Stanton’s legs, I must admit that I was a little nervous about the ambition of the piece at first.  However, Stanton moves with a liquid musicality, seamlessly balancing Mercer’s contemporary and funk styles.

Juson Williams and company grace the stage in both the first and second half of the evening singing their soulfully witty rendition of classics For the Love of You and Lonely Avenue.  Expect the unexpected with Williams.  The level of his artistry allows him to take risks and use improvisation in a way that leaves you thinking one thought…WORK!

Speaking of musical artistry, William Johnson and the Drumatics blow up the stage at the end of the first half with a set of rhythms that make you want to get on your feet. This unbelievable all-male band dominates the trumpets, saxophone, djembe drums, and even paint buckets. That’s right William Johnson was drumming on paint buckets. Now that’s talent!

Now, my favorite and closing act of the evening is the BU Session, an open stage portion of the evening where artists in the audience are welcomed onstage to freestyle whatever talent they wish to share. What is most inspirational about this moment is seeing the diversity of races, generations, gender, and talent showcased.  There are even kids up there holdin’ it down right next to their teachers and mentors.  The session ends with two lengthy yet mind-blowing tap solos by Jared Grimes and Dewitt.  This pair, who also are the hosts of the show, delightfully serve as comic relief throughout the evening, and, putting all jokes aside, successfully leave the audience with a lasting impression of what "Broadway Underground" is really all about.

I’m not sure about when we will see this group again, but what I do know is that they will have a sold out house leaving you fully satisfied, and, I will make sure that I’m there again!  Broadway Underground: revolutionizing the definition of entertainment in New York City.  Go see them!

iDANZ Critix Corner
Official Dance Review by Simone Sobers
Performance:  Broadway Underground
Choreography:  Jared Grimes, Ray Mercer, Juson Williams,Tadah, William Johnson and the Drumatics, Dewitt, BU Band, Adam Shenk, Reggie
Venue:  B. B. Kings
Show Date:  Monday, July 5, 2010

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With a clever mind, his heart on his sleeve and a pair of supernatural feet, Savion Glover, the artist, unleashes mind-boggling rhythms in his current production, “Sole Power” at Manhattan’s mecca for exemplary dance, The Joyce Theatre.  In the footsteps of tap legends, Savion Glover pays homage, one beat-filled rhythm at a time, to those of the past in a futuristic format.

With feet from another galaxy, Savion poses the question, "Can you see sound?"  Sound had better stock up on Red Bull before meeting the likes of Savion Glover’s fast and furious feet...   They move at light speed!

Act one begins with an intergalactic soundtrack and backdrop.  Mr Glover, facing upstage for a good five to ten minutes, jams away.  Instantly the focus in on the sound.  We don’t see his face, yet, I am transfixed.  Savion Glover has me at hello.

He is understated, donning a loose t-shirt with tuxedo pants.  Savion is comfortable right there on the stage in his tap boots.  He is comfortable in his own skin.  The effortless manipulation of tap sound is interwoven with spoken word by Savion, (who has a remarkable voice by the way).  He even kills the lights and dances in the dark, further highlighting his magical beats.  This first half of the show is heavily in remembrance of those great, pave-making tappers, highlighting the improvography of such legends as Jimmy Slyde and Gregory Hines.

Act two is futuristic, comical, sassy and jamming.  Although there are some truly extraordinary moments,  I am just not as fond of the second half as nearly as much as the first.  Unfortunately, some of Savion’s less-experienced counterparts fall flat.  The costumes are fiercely outlandish and say, Project Runway; however, based on performance alone, let's just say that... some models may need to be sent home.  Fortunately, this is not true of Mr. Glover and his two main men, Marshall Davis Jr. and Maurice Chestnut who are all powerful and technically aggressive.  Dance ya'll...  Savion rocks Jay-Z level swagger!

Although the corny dance-off session and an anti-climactic ending does little for me, I still leave completely dazzled by the mastery and artistry of Savion Glover, a brilliant man who marches to the beat of his own drum. 

In “Sole Power,” the light of dance transcends what we simply see on stage to a broader, more intellectual, and soul-filled moment in history.   It hosts a passing of the torch and an embracing extension to the future.  The dance is the father and Savion Glover is the son – of sound.  

See Savion Glover's, "Sole Power" at The Joyce Theater June 21- July 10 and be inspired... Keep Slyde alive!

To hear the exclusive iDANZ interview with Savion Glover, CLICK HERE.

iDANZ Critix Corner
Official Dance Review by Martine Quigley    
Performance:  Savion Glover's "Sole Power"
Venue:  The Joyce Theater
Date:  June 28, 2010
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Tags: Savion Glover Martine Quigley The Joyce Theater Maurice Chestnut

New York is about laying it all on the line..'if you can make it here you can make it anywhere' and Perceptions Contemporary Dance Company throws their hat in the 'if you can make it here you can make it anywhere' ring of NY with their explosive evening length premier at Teatro LA TEA Theater last Friday.  Relocating from Boston to NY 7 months ago, PCDC boasts fourteen highly trained and expressive dancers - including Artistic Director Melissa Gendreau and Assistant Director Molly Fletcher Lynch.  Gendreau believes that because 'Perception is experience' you should 'experience Perceptions' and this statement earns its clout throughout their work.  Pieces that showcase PCDC's promise as key players in NY were Gendreau's Magnetic Affixion and Ancient Bruises.  Guest choreographer, Natalie Teichmann, of Anahata Dance's Apres Moi shows that same promise.

Magnetic Affixion showcases sequential synergy at its finest.  Passing an itch that no one can seem to scratch, the piece reveals a charismatic quartet including Gendreau and Lynch where athletic prowess - and fashion conundrums are put to the test with sneakers and high heels in the mix.  The archetypical characters of a businesswoman, "dude," fashionista, and a running woman a la "Sporty Spice" in true NY fashion collide as the magnetic "affixion" sends each character into intense connectedness often channeling whirling dervishes.  In their exploration of contact, dancers find themselves stacked tall, held close, on their heads, hands and feet and then propelled away from each other only to be magnetized back until new configurations result.  Gendreau and Lynch's intriguing extremities pair well with Jessie Cosentino and Kyung Joon Lee's compact explosiveness.  

Ancient Bruises reveals the companies softer and more sobering side - showcasing stunning extension with tear jerking imagery in white, they unabashedly mesmerize.  Based on a  true story of domestic violence the company weaves the silver lining of a situation laced with a guttural and gruesome stigma.  Perceiving an opportunity to breathe beauty into a story wrought with grit - Gendreau's perceptions shine.  Her physical storytelling features soloist Chihiro Shimizu as the clay to mold these visions.  Striking sculptural pauses of Shimizu's musicality evokes artful upliftedness. Her navigation of connecting with fellow dancers and melting into her own limelight speak both to her clarity of the piece and to Gengreau's direction.  Lynch's artistic grasp of the choreography's underbelly leads her to stand out immensely.  The soft concavity of her gestures emanates through vibrating hands - no detail of her dancing tale goes un-traversed.

PCDC company member Natalie Teichmann also Artistic Directs Anahata Dance and her work Apres Moi provides a complementary contrast to PCDC.  With a strong tongue in cheek presence, architectural precision and an enigmatic "Thing 1" and "Thing 2" charm, Teichmann and Lauren Rosenstein delight.  Their impeccable control of both physical and spatial connectivity is channeled through alert eyes.  In turn, their audience connection grows stronger with every second.  Using the stage as a dynamic playground, a sense of fun perforates any stuffiness residue left from the 9 - 5 crowd.  Sweeping to the floor, silently they communicate a sense of peaceful ease - one I know does not hold true but resonates clearly.

The raw materials of PCDC and friends have a home in NY - now their attention must be drawn to connecting the dots through quicker pauses between pieces and other details that have little to do with artistry.  I await their new works - Gendreau has big plans for the company on, off and behind the stage with the brand new Perceptions Contemporary Dance Festival this fall, and the PCDC Summer Youth Intensive Dance Camp in August. Be sure to get to the next PCDC show to see heightened humor, subtle softness, and enough passion to claim NY as home base. 

As Gendreau says, "Perceptions is Experience...Experience Perceptions!" 

iDANZ Critix Corner
Official Dance Review by Eileen Elizabeth
Performance:  Perceptions Contemporary Dance Company 
Venue:  Teatro LA TEA Theater 
Show Date:  May 28, 2010
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YAGP Gala presents a delightful mixture of dance prodigies and top dancers from around the world.

All week the city has been buzzing with visiting dancers from top international dance schools.  Recently, I’ve been encountering the YAGP people quite a bit around the city in classes at Peridance and Steps.  Now, I get to see them perform at New York City Center for the gala performance.  YAGP attracts dance school personnel from top schools to recruit and award scholarships.

Since its birth eleven years ago, the YAGP has grown into being the largest competition for student ballet scholarships worldwide.  Dubbed the “internet of the dance world” for connecting a diverse population of dancers around the globe, YAGP became a member of the Conseil International de la Danse (CID) by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2005.  More than 25,000 dancers worldwide have participated in YAGP workshops, competitions and audition classes, and more than 250 YAGP alumni dance with major companies around the world.  Most outstandingly, over two million dollars in YAGP scholarship funds have been contributed to dance schools worldwide to aid in furthering dance education.

Full of energy and witty phrases, Peter Sagal from Wait Wait...Don’t Tell Me! on NPR hosts this year’s 2010 YAGP Gala.  He even attempts to demonstrate some of his own knowledge and ballet technique, amusing the audience by showing off each ballet foot position and his favorite steps.  Peter Sagal hysterically announces the start of the show doing a penché while holding the mic in one hand and grabbing onto the curtain for support with the other before dashing away as the music begins.

The evening opens with a cute cowboy dance by a ten year old boy.  Apparently not being from New York City he probably is unaware that it is illegal to have toy guns that appear real.  Perhaps his holsters do indeed contain real guns which he brandishes about between double tours.

A youthful girl with long limbs performs a contemporary dance number, “Wild Horses.”   Although, perhaps a bit too provocative in short shorts for her age, she certainly has lovely split leaps and a nice trot.  Many of the young dancers performing have incredible technique, but their expressions, though plastered on with practice, cloud with anxiety and pressure as they prepare before a turn or other virtuosic display.

A twelve year old boy from Japan delightfully sticks out in his playful routine with a mop.  The story is typical:  a cleaning man becomes playful and starts dancing around with his mop, only to return to cleaning.  Untypical is his expressiveness, which is endearing as he falsely prepares for turns, teasing the trick-hungry audience.  Another twelve year old from Italy displays exquisite line, interspersing contemporary movements with clean classical technique, easily whipping out double sauté basque turns and more than five pirouettes.

Receiving the honor of Best School, The Orlando Ballet School presents an exceptional all male quartet performed to an Enrique Iglesias tune.  The movement of the four boys, so dramatic in their skin-tight skinny jeans along with the music, makes a few audience members erupt into laughter, but by the conclusion the audience concurred with the judges that these dancers have had some wonderful training.  Their lines, port de bras and technique are breathtaking… though choreographically, the dance could have been performed as a solo except for the sappy moments of arms around each other and back-patting.

With a costume obviously inspired by the dress worn by Bjork at the Grammy’s, a bronze medalist rail-thin fifteen year old girl of China, Shang Yao Qian, performs an interesting contemporary solo entitled “Black Wing.”   This awesomely awkward girl is adorned with long limbs and beautiful “cashew” feet, a perfect representation of an ugly duckling struggling to grow into a graceful swan. 

Silver medalist, Zhao Wan Ting, explodes into sensual gestural choreography, alternating with walking, almost strutting sequences.  Grand Prix champion, William Bracewell performs with calm delicious port de bras.  Although after seeing a few hops, I wonder if his performance had been better during competition rounds; but, I forgive him quickly as he elegantly arabesques.  Besides, this is an educational competition program whose purpose is not to find perfection, but to aid in its perpetual pursuit.

Next on the program, I am delighted to see Russel Ferguson, champion from So You Think You Can Dance, take the stage to show us what krumping is all about.  In this special surprise guest artist appearance, Russel Ferguson wobbles his rotating legs in and out while simultaneously popping his chest.  His incredible control shines through his isolations.

Peter Sagal returns to preface the finale number, in which a large number of students dance together.  He explains how Youth American Grand Prix brings together over 2,000 dancers from around the world to compete and study dance for one week together, in a sense, creating a “UN of dance.”  All practiced soloists, the young dancers still try to outshine each other…  Despite the chorus staging, they do not dance together (which could be a result of short rehearsal time).  It is, however, mesmerizing to see so many young dancers take the stage at one time and finish in an elaborate tableau.

Intermission sends streams of dancers, parents, teachers and industry people into the lobby where refreshments of champagne and chocolate covered strawberries are served to celebrate the conclusion of this year’s YAGP. The intermission is extended for the socializing to take place.  Everyone is abuzz with excitement about the talent just witnessed and the awaited post-intermission performances of the more celebrated, professional dancers.

The second half of the Gala performance features today’s stars, YAGP alumni that now perform with top dance companies from around the world.

Opening is the Act II pas de deux from Giselle, danced by Paris Opera Ballet ‘s Mathilde Froustey and Mathias Heyman, the perfect pair to match old classical style. The couple gives generous lovely port de bras.  In The Moment is a contemporary piece with ABT’s Michelle Wiles and Tulsa Ballet’s Wang Yi dancing round a chair, accompanied by a live on stage singer, Aurora Barnes.  Yearning, sharp and contrasting movement choreographically builds the urgency of this dance.

Another passionate pas de deux is with Isabella Boylston-what extension!- and Blaine Hoven of ABT in Sognato, using music by Schubert.  Following is another pas de deux, Parting, choreographed by Yuri Smekalove, who is partnered by Yevgenia Obraztsova, both of the Mariinsky Ballet.  It is Yevgenia Obraztsova’s New York debut, and she is welcomed with an abundance of cheers and applause.  Joaquin De Luz of NYCB dances Five Variations on a Theme with music by Bach.  With lovely sustained attitudes and a casual air, Joaquin De Luz delivers magnificence.

Ballroom World Champions Slavik Kryklyvyy and Anna Melnikova tear the stage apart in Jive eliciting many screams of excitement from the audience. The number includes standard ballroom elements- exposed skin, undulating hips and accentuating air bites.  The step-tap looks stunning with the right degree of foot bevel, though the over-twisting of the wrists I find almost grotesque.

From American Ballet Theatre is Joseph Gorak with his billowy shirt adding fluidity to his arm movements in the solo to Nocturne, music by Chopin.

Rubinald Pronk of Morphoses dances L’effleure as a solo because his partner, Shirley Esseboom of Nederlands Dans Theater, is ‘stuck in traffic’ according to the announcement by Peter Sagal.  Rubinald Pronk is a dramatic presence on stage-his fluid portebras and red flowing pants look like spilling blood.  Gorgeous music by Vivaldi seems to pour through Rubinald Pronk- undulating the torso, articulating through his limbs, lengthening into breathtaking lines.  He is so stunning by himself, one easily forgets that Rubinald Pronk is dancing what is supposed to be a duet, not a solo.  A rose stays delicately in his mouth the entire dance, only to drop at the last moment.

Donizetti,choreographed by Manuel Legris, is performed by Mathilde Froustey and Mathias Heyman, the only couple to do more than one spot on the Gala program. Joaquin De Luz returns to the stage with Tiler Peck to perform Balanchine’s Stars and Stripes.  The American classic makes the audience roar up in applause, and the dancing couple are radiant, bursting with energy.

Polina Seminova of the Berlin State Opera Ballet and Marcelo Gomes of American Ballet Theatre dance the pas de deux from Manon, an amazingly executed, beautifully portrayed love scene.

Closing this fabulous evening is Sarah Lamb and Sergei Polunin from the Royal Ballet with the pas de deux from Diana and Acteon. Sergei Polunin delights the crowd with amazing effortless jumps.

YAGP proves again to be the must see ballet performance. Bringing world premieres of new dance work and the world’s best dance talent to one stage, YAGP Gala is a delightful highlight to a wonderful program that offers so many opportunities to young dancers.

iDANZ Critix Corner
Official Dance Review by Lea McGowan    
Performance: Youth America Grand Prix 2010 Gala “Stars of Today Meet the Stars of Tomorrow”
Venue: New York City Center, New York City
Performance Date: Friday, March 26, 2010
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Tags: YAGP Lea McGowan City Center