DANCE REVIEWS
“Ofrenda” a Day of the Dead Banquet
An ofrenda (offering) is an altar made to welcome departed family members on Day of the Dead. The welcome from “Ofrenda” was so spectacular, surely the nearly 3,000 living souls at the Rady Shell on Sunday were surrounded by legions of spirits, drawn to the heart-melting singing, thrilling percussive footwork, and parade of vivid costumes.
Read MoreA Feast of Choreographic Invention: City Ballet’s “On the Move”
I was mesmerized by the dancers’ wrists, which in all three pieces are often flexed at dramatic 90-degree angles, both up and down. In another arresting gesture, they hold their wrists crossed as if shackled. And that’s just some of the choreographic invention on display from City Ballet’s Geoff Gonzalez last Saturday.
Read MoreLitvak’s Dance and Setting Enchant
While it’s been thrilling to return to live performances, much of what I’ve seen had a sense of compromise. Happily, nothing felt second-best about Litvak Dance’s performance on August 28. Sadie Weinberg, who launched this North County company just three years ago, is a powerhouse networker. She recruited two guest choreographers to create work for the company: New York-based Rebecca Margolick, one of Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch” this year; and Texas-based Joshua Manculich, who’s made dances for companies around the country.
Read MoreTrolley Dances 2021: Hits, Misses
Each of us has a personal geography of emerging from the pandemic, landmarks that tell us we’re coming home. One of my milestones was the Dance is in the Air festival at Liberty Station, which began May 21 and continues through Sunday. Another biggie—the return of Trolley Dances! Granted, there were changes. The home to which we’re returning, post-COVID, isn’t the same one we left.
Read MoreMalashock, Griffin Choreograph Hope
Two “tribes”—one dressed in brown, the other in green—exchange wary glances. Using wooden cubes, they stake out their territory and line up, facing off. Yet, a moment later, a man ventures out from the four-person greens, a woman from the browns. To music with a waltz tempo, they explore lyrical partnering.
How do we respond to someone we perceive as “other?” With curiosity or fear?
Read MoreLive Dance at Liberty Station!
I’m excited to go anywhere these days, but a live dance show! My first in more than a year! In fact, it’s a festival—four weekends of performances by the resident companies at Dance Place! Declarations of “I’m vaccinated” were followed by hugs! I may end every sentence with an exclamation point!
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