Award-winning dancers Holley Farmer, Rashaun Mitchell, and Banu Ogan breathe life into their movements, inhaling the audience’s attention with the complexities of the messages in the show and need for an open mindset.

When the performance commences, a screen is the backdrop of a set that appears in the midst of a photo shoot. Umbrellas are mounted on the screen making a three dimensional affect to the short silent film of people caught in candid moments. As the three dancers enter the stage their costumes appear to have a personality of their own, ranging from silver sparkles to tailored jackets. Instead of embodying the personalities evoked from their costumes the dancers remain neutral and allow the body’s movements to set the mood. The screen figures movements coincide with the dancers. The three dancer’s movements are almost robotic and structured to the point of ultimate beauty and technique. As the dance continues static and machine-like sounds are heard.

The dancers become synchronized as the dance becomes more intertwining and physically connecting. Large shadows of the dancers are cast across the walls of the theater while the screen shows images that appear as strains of DNA. Later on in the performance contrast is shown between the different components of life from strains of DNA to complexities of human relationships. A love triangle evolves between the three dancers. The male dancer moves from one woman to the other in a dance that evokes both passion and bitterness; leaving one woman to ponder in the darkness. Even as the new couples dance is taking place the eye is drawn to the woman in the darkness. Pictures are scattered across the stage; that were taken sporadically during the performance. The abandoned woman gathers up the pictures slowly, bringing them back to her corner; depicting how she is trying to piece back her life and find her identity. As the performance concludes the dancers are synchronized again, allowing room for healing and a need for connection that has become human nature.

The audience’s contentment with the performance is very apparent as they give a standing ovation. Many messages were illustrated - life is a matter of physics, survival of the fittest, but most of all, human nature is untamable and not meant to be understood, but surrendered to.

After that opening banging in the middle of the piece the gate is raised to reveal a screen where a multi-colored image of a body produces a movement that Bokaer then recreates on stage. It was quite surreal actually, the movement when you first see it appears difficult or inhuman, but after getting acclimated to it for a while it becomes natural and more fluid. They are connected gestures broken up, he stops when every muscle contracts or tenses up as if it were a slide show of freeze frames, or a flip book moving a bit too slowly.

The final piece The Invention of Minus One featured more of the same movement from Bokaer’s solo piece. The main attraction here was the set, it looked like a photography studio equipped with tripods, light banks, video cameras, 2 small screens, and a wall of umbrellas acting as the main screen. The umbrella’s created a distorted pattern for the images of the motion capture projected onto it. The dancer’s costumes done by Isaac Mizarhi created a fairy tale aspect to the environment. One looked like Cinderella, another like a Coachman and the second woman seemed like a mix of the two. A high point of the piece included the women holding glowing umbrellas making them look like jelly fish on the stage. They mostly used props of frames, shades, video cameras, and even Polaroid cameras. The movement was woven into the technology, which made the lack of dancing less of a problem and more of an asset.

On March 14th, 2008 at the Abrons Arts Center in The Lower East Side, Bokaer began the night by starring in the first of his two pieces, False Start. The animation in False Start featured an animated figure of Bokaer, himself. The figure contorted as it stood in a box with vibrant, Van Gogh-like printed walls. The pastel background nicely accentuated the loose and continuous gestures of the silhouetted body. Following this was Bokaer, imitating the animated version of him in front of a lit blank screen on a completely dark stage. Like the figure in the animation, the dancer was placed in a contrasting space. The background music to Mr. Bokaer’s fluid, minimal choreography interestingly, sounded like the clashing of metal garbage cans and banging random objects together. The two pieces consisted of both tense movements that involved the use of many muscles, and rounded, smooth movement. The clothing racks, tripods, photographs, and cameras, as well as the coins hinted that the theme of opposites was also applicable to The Invention. While one may feel as if The Invention was based upon photography, one would also have to consider the “coin-tossing” component, too. From a posh photo-shoot setting to a quaint game of jacks, Bokaer leaves it up to the audience to extract the meanings.

The performance would have certainly been incomplete without its costumes by Isaac Mizrahi. Even further adding onto the concept of contrasts, was the selection of styles worn by the three dancers (The Invention), Rashaun Mitchell, Banu Ogan, and Holley Farmer. Farmer was the more boyishly dressed among the females (Ogan) but still not as masculine as Mitchell, wearing a cropped jacket, tank top, and elastic shorts. Ogan wore American Apparel-like silver tights and a sequined top. Counter to Ogan’s ensemble was Mitchell’s black tights and a simple charro jacket. The unconventionally combined features of The Invention and False Start most likely would not have worked otherwise, but it indeed made Jonah Bokaer’s piece worth watching.

When the Paul Taylor Dance Company is at work, you won’t just be watching them perform—you’ll be living an experience that challenges you to let your own ideas interact with what you see. Even as you’re enjoying the show, you’ll be experimenting with your own powers of interpretation.

The first of the three dances, …Byzantium, takes its title and theme from the W.B. Yeats poem “Sailing to Byzantium.” The playbill includes the poem’s last line to focus audience members’ attention: “Of what is past, passing, or to come.” It wouldn’t hurt to brush up on your Yeats so that you can decide how Paul Taylor’s choreography might be playing with the poem’s images, themes and final line. I saw the struggling journeys, the bottom feeders on the ocean floor and the final arrival in Byzantium. Yeats’s Byzantium might not be an actual place, but instead an idea to understand. Taylor’s Byzantium gives rise to three figures—perhaps representing the past, the passing, and what is to come—moving in interconnected ways. They are soon joined by a fourth dancer, lending new dimension and meaning to the dance.

Of course there isn’t only one way to interpret what’s happening on stage. During the generous intermissions, you’ll have the chance to talk about it with your neighbors. It is to Paul Taylor’s credit that there will be plenty to discuss!

…Byzantium is followed by De Sueños (of dreams). The title warns audience members against searching for specific significance in what they’re about to see. Who knows what dreams might bring and what they might mean? In the meantime, the dancers’ movements create several narratives. The mood is initially light, but it is soon darkened by melancholy parades of characters—the cross dresser, the man holding and licking a skull, the doomed buck—as the stage becomes a playground for the grotesque, the beautiful and the surreal.

Arden Court uses its music and movement to innovate a more classical style. The variety in choreography demonstrates the breadth of Paul Taylor’s imagination and the strength of his commitment to taking artistic risks and engaging audience members. The dancers must possess not only physical, but also artistic stamina. They maintain high quality energy and execution.

As for the audience members, one thing is for certain—seeing the Paul Taylor Dance Company perform will be a great opportunity to stretch your mind. Once again, High 5 is giving you arts-goers the chance to see something new and exciting. It’s time to experiment and enjoy!

The first piece …Byzantium was nicely structured, yet not very enjoyable. The dancing was not a showcase of talent, more just a presentation of numbers and arrangements. Four dancers act as royals, with gold and brightly colored costumes, the ensemble in gold act as soldiers moving in formations while the royals perform a ritual that lacks a human quality. It could be Taylor’s intention, as at the end of the piece they acquire another brightly colored royal, but by then it was difficult to care.

After that initial sedation, De Suenos (of dreams) allowed our imaginations to run wild. What at first seems to be another portrayal of the American West (Ailey’s Saddle Up, Agnes de Mille’s Rodeo) turns into a twisted parallel universe, equipped with a drag queen, a stag, a vision of light, and a creepy looking man wearing a mask and holding a skull. This piece was the first chance for the dancers of Taylor’s company to truly show off their talent. The stand out performance of this piece was a solo by the vision in gold. An enigmatic and graceful presence on stage, her movement was a slow mix of extensions and ballet like structures. At the end she is met on stage by the creepy man, she continues her movement until they eventually embrace. This moment sums up the experience of the piece, beauty tucked away living harmoniously in a land of the strange.

The final piece, Arden Court, was very traditional, peaceful and understated, with small surprises. Part of the piece included a series of duets with unconventional pairings. In traditional ballet the men only support the women while they dance, making the women seem dependent. Taylor in this work instead creates other relationships, a woman who uses the man as her prop while he continues to do his own individual movement making their dependence equal. For another couple the woman is in awe of the man who pays her no attention, while later a man vies for the attention of that same woman. He gets in the way of her legs and sits underneath her so she has to step on him for her to notice. She never does until he taps her on the shoulder. The last couple feature two men who acknowledge and use each other equally in their dancing. Arden Court on the surface appears very traditional when in actuality, one only had to look closer to see more diverse and unusual bonds explored here in this dance.

This collection of work was balanced and not overwhelming, the lull, excitement, and tranquil pattern allowed the audience to fully engage in Taylor’s dream, which is not easily forgotten or recreated.

The dancers are talented and visibly passionate, but they’re only one part of the show. The music is varied and the lighting outstanding. Both elements work to create a mood that enriches the experience of the performance. I’ve heard terrific things about David Parsons’ choreography, but nothing prepared me for how enraptured I would be when the performance opened with Closure. By the time Closure ended, I realized that I hadn’t yet torn my eyes away from the stage to take notes—or even blinked!

Sleep Study, another piece in the program, was just as enthralling from the moment the dancers came out in pajamas and started to toss and turn their way around the stage. It was not only entertaining, but also fascinating. Parsons Dance will challenge your expectations as it uses recognizable movements to leave strong, beautiful impressions.

Caught, Parsons’ signature piece, impressed me the most. Dancer Miguel Quinones put on a performance that was unlike any I’ve seen before. A strobe lighting concept, imagined by David Parsons and designed by Howell Binkley, made it look as though he was flying. It must have taken an amazing amount of speed and strength for Quinones to move so that every time the light flashed, he was in a different place on the stage—or in the air.

In The End was a conclusion especially exciting for Dave Matthews fans, as dancers moved to a medley of his songs. It was a wonderful, highly energetic last number, especially impressive in that the dancers had already been on stage for so long. Parsons Dance shows audience members the full potential of both physical and artistic movement. It is inspiring, exciting—and it’s available to you through High 5!

It felt like a race.

Han Bennink hit the drums with startling force - a shot in the air. Peter Brotzmann got a head start as a flutter of notes came out of his saxophone. Peter Evans, seemingly the underdog, raced ahead, the volume and speed of both his fingers and the notes emanating from his trumpet rivaling Brotzmann’s heady sound. Tom Blancarte seemed solitary, calm, apart from the rest, his hair covering his face as he concentrated on his bass. Bennink’s ever-evolving drumbeat echoed the tension, suspense, adrenaline beating in everyone’s hearts. All four men’s hands seemed to be moving at a million miles per hour.

We held our breaths.

Evans and Blancarte, both New York City locals, had the most to prove. After all, they were playing (competing?) with two jazz giants. Bennink, from Holland, and Brotzmann, from Germany, were forerunners of the European free jazz movement of the 1960s. They are both known for their explosive playing style. Evans, whose solo records have him experimenting with sputtering, spitting, noiseless sound, and other quiet trumpet techniques, seemed up for the challenge though. When he and Brotzmann played head to head, it was exhilarating.

At times, it felt as if they were playing to see who could be the loudest. Brotzmann was almost always just a little bit louder - but by the second set, Evans learned to stand his ground, daring to play with the quieter sounds reserved for his solo and group recordings.

Though Bennink and Blancarte were always right behind them, the real race was ultimately between Brotzmann and Evans. By the end of the night, Evans’ noiseless sound was overpowering Brotzmann’s unrelenting voice. If this were a race in any way at all, Evans was the clear winner.

If this were a race in any way at all - racing hearts, hands, notes, sounds - then it was one hell of a race.

Parsons Dance presents movement so vivid, raucous, and mesmerizing that even the audience barely has a chance to catch its breath. Don’t miss out as the company returns the Joyce with ten of it’s greatest hits! Only three dates available!

Dates & Times:
Sun., Jan. 12th @ 2:00 p.m.
Tues., Jan. 15th @ 7:30 p.m.
Wed., Jan. 16th @ 7:30 p.m.

Despite the wintry chill of the first day of December, one could hardly feel anything but the intense heat emanating from the Jazz Battle at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola. The battle was between alto saxophonists Ben Van Gelder and Aaron Holbrook, with the Winard Harper Trio acting as the band for the musicians to build upon. With Gelder hailing from Scandinavia and Holbrook representing Boston, the two did their hometowns proud by being able to compete with the likes of the Winard Harper Trio.

Beginning the show by showing the audience just who they were dealing with, the Winard Harper Trio opened the set with a numbing performance. Starting out with an up-beat jazz number, the trio warmed up, all showing their respective musical chops. With Ameen Saleem providing a steady rolling bassline and Winard Harper keeping a loud and charged tempo, their pianist, a twenty-one year old prodigy from the New School, would take center stage, displaying a wealth of musical poignancy almost unthinkable for such a young man. Setting the mood by either striking sharp chords or by rolling off subtle arpeggios, the pianist would allow his musical cohorts to improvise with him. Saleem would remain steady throughout the performance, dishing out walking basslines that Harper would complement with vibrant strikes of the cymbals or inventive rhythm combinations of high-hats and snare. The band’s overture was greeted with staggering applause, setting a high standard for the two young combatants to follow.

Gelder and Holbrook began their competition by doing a jazz standard with the rest of the band; the two would wedge in their solos in between numbers. At times, the two young competitors would trade standards, each performing or leading off a number with the accompanying trio. However, one lost sense of the competitive nature of the meeting and became engrossed in the sheer talent of each member of the jazz group.

Gelder showed off his repertoire of alto saxophone knowledge, delving into winding and major arpeggios that would trail seamlessly with the sonic back-up provided by Harper’s trio. Gelder proved himself a former saxophonist, sustaining long barrages of notes on extremely high pitches, still managing to let loose a river of legato major scales which managed to bring some peace to the raging fire of the band’s performance.

Holbrook was by no means outclassed; matching Gelder’s sweeping melodic trails with minor staccato bellows, Holbrook displayed a confidence and raw power in his playing that only added to the fervor of the music. Letting loose strong bursts of notes, Holbrook captured the audience’s attention with his deep sonic one-shots.

Saleem proved himself the talented bassist by keeping time with a rolling bass line. His hands conveyed a fervor that his maintained exterior did not compromise in the slightest; with fingers plucking wildly and his hands crawling all over the neck, Saleem showed the rest of his musical cohorts just why exactly he was on stage beside them.

Harper proved himself to be the center of the performance. Letting loose an explosive barrage of percussive chaos, Harper unveiled a mania in his drumming that left the mind numb and one’s ears ringing. Smashing a mind-boggling number of beats per second, Harper would instill life into the performance by detonating a sonic land-mine the likes of which are too concussive to remember. Harper would crawl over the drum set, at times manually smashing cymbals (without sticks, that is), at others displaying percussive dexterity by using one drumstick as a slide for which to other to ride to its destination. Harper made his presence known, displaying a height of musical vigor that is hard to encounter.

Listening, I lost sense of the battle component of the performance; each player managed to so seamlessly complement the others style that I didn’t feel as if you were watching a musical competition, but more of a reunion between veteran players.

Visit the TRaC Blog for more!

They were good times….

But don’t worry! They’re far from over!

The Spring TRaC Application is now available. Download one on the TRaC Homepage at www.high5tix.org and send it in to reserve your spot. Take the same TRaC, or try a different one.

If you can volunteer to be at the TRaC Open House in February, contact me and let me know. Can’t wait to get started again!

~eric