The lights of the main stage dimmed in the crowded Burbank Auditorium. As the chatter of an audience of hundreds simmered into a quiet anticipation dark silhouettes took their position on stage. Mirrored dance studios, tireless rehearsals suddenly become distant memories. The lure of opening night called as the lights from above illuminate the dancers.
Fifteen art and poetry inspired dance pieces choreographed by students and faculty accompanied by a fascinating mix of music made up the SRJC annual spring dance performance “Piece Work.” The dances created by student-choreographers where inspired by various works of art ranging from sculpture to graffiti. These pieces invited audiences to experience a diverse range of emotion like anger, sadness and love from a different perspective.
A variety of stylistic approaches made each dance unique. A solo performance titled “Woman on Top” inspired by Norman Rockwell’s “Rosie the Riveter” had dancer-choreographer Erin Bowman dancing in mid-air as she performed hanging from a rope attached to the ceiling.
The number of dancers in the show varied from piece to piece, giving each dance a different mood. One piece, titled “What We’ve Become” choreographed by Lorna Lushenko, was inspired by the poem “Warped and Twisted” by Skittles and had 18 dancers all wearing gold masks aggressively dancing in synchronization; expressing the feeling of frustration embodied in Skittles poem. Near the end the piece shifted from a fast paced tempo slowing down to an almost hypnotic state as the dancers gold masks stared from the dark stage in unison, adding a delightful creepiness to the piece.
The music in the performances, with the exception of guest choreographer and musician Melecio Estrella’s piece “Nice People Do It Too” were instrumental. The lack of lyrics added emphasis to the particular movements the dancers made and opened the meaning of the dances to interpretation.
Vocals in Estrellas’ dance were performed by student-singers Sara Alexander and Michael Mckeon. The singing with an old jazzy-tone meshed well with the choreography making it one of the highlight pieces of the night.
The overall dancing in the show was creative and the dancers dedication was evident pieces. The process of turning art and poetry into a dance is a subjective, successes is measured by the reaction of your audience. At the end of the show, the audience had been exposed to a side of dance that they perhaps didn’t know existed and they were applauding.