Spent Days out Yonder set the tone with a light almost whimsical string quartet (Lamont School of Music) coupled with etched and chiseled bodies creating a three dimensional landscape of syncopation and rhythm. The white and austere background complimented the simple and fluid costumes of delightful merriment. The title hearkens to past memories and the sounds took you to childhood.
Photo by Gwen Phillips/Newman Center. Image courtesy of the Newman Center for the Performing Arts.
Continuous Replay opens with dynamic frenzy as Erick Montes Chavero took the audience by surprise sans clothing. The rest of the company joins him as the piece develops, each without a stitch of cover. The octet of strings take moments of silence that cause the audience to wrestle with the nude male moving on the stage. It reminded me of the naked mind jumbled with all the ideas and dancers within our lives that move in and out. An interplay of identity and the relationships we hold with our body, when exposed. The acquaintance of self aligned with gesture developed a conversation that probed in and out of the audience.
The final piece, D-Man in the Waters, opened with a blue background and again, the live string octet. The light work throughout this piece was tremendous. Opening like the treads on a tank, the dancers form and take rank reforming and re-ranking. The piece closes with the full company hurling Montes Chavero into the air and then catching him while screaming, “Let’s go!”
Let’s go, I tell you, to the next performance of this company. A rare and beautiful treat to the Denver area that pushed boundaries and left the standing room ovation a buzz with gaiety. It was a wonderful evening of Saturday night dance.
W. Celeste Davis Stragand: Published author, showcased artist and local Denverite, W. Celeste Davis Stragand is not new to the art world. Her passion for delving into the root of existence and movement will challenge and praise both choreographers and the audience. A graduate of Texas A&M University, Celeste holds two bachelor of arts degrees, one in Chemistry and the other in English. She is also a graduate of Naropa University holding a Masters of Fine Arts in Writing and Poetics from the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics. A former national slam team poet, Celeste is a graduate of the Downtown Denver Partnership Leadership Program and sits on the American Institute of Architects Colorado board. Her passion and enthusiasm for the kinetic arts will frolic and frenzy through the upcoming season of performances with many hopes for an encore!
Let’s Go!
Let’s Go!
Synchronized sinew teamed with live strings sinuous on the stage supporting polemic conversations and egregious action. Bill T Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company stunned and awed the standing ovation audience on Saturday night, January 24, 2015 at the University of Denver’s Newman Center for the Performing Arts.
Spent Days out Yonder set the tone with a light almost whimsical string quartet (Lamont School of Music) coupled with etched and chiseled bodies creating a three dimensional landscape of syncopation and rhythm. The white and austere background complimented the simple and fluid costumes of delightful merriment. The title hearkens to past memories and the sounds took you to childhood.
Continuous Replay opens with dynamic frenzy as Erick Montes Chavero took the audience by surprise sans clothing. The rest of the company joins him as the piece develops, each without a stitch of cover. The octet of strings take moments of silence that cause the audience to wrestle with the nude male moving on the stage. It reminded me of the naked mind jumbled with all the ideas and dancers within our lives that move in and out. An interplay of identity and the relationships we hold with our body, when exposed. The acquaintance of self aligned with gesture developed a conversation that probed in and out of the audience.
The final piece, D-Man in the Waters, opened with a blue background and again, the live string octet. The light work throughout this piece was tremendous. Opening like the treads on a tank, the dancers form and take rank reforming and re-ranking. The piece closes with the full company hurling Montes Chavero into the air and then catching him while screaming, “Let’s go!”
Let’s go, I tell you, to the next performance of this company. A rare and beautiful treat to the Denver area that pushed boundaries and left the standing room ovation a buzz with gaiety. It was a wonderful evening of Saturday night dance.
W. Celeste Davis Stragand: Published author, showcased artist and local Denverite, W. Celeste Davis Stragand is not new to the art world. Her passion for delving into the root of existence and movement will challenge and praise both choreographers and the audience. A graduate of Texas A&M University, Celeste holds two bachelor of arts degrees, one in Chemistry and the other in English. She is also a graduate of Naropa University holding a Masters of Fine Arts in Writing and Poetics from the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics. A former national slam team poet, Celeste is a graduate of the Downtown Denver Partnership Leadership Program and sits on the American Institute of Architects Colorado board. Her passion and enthusiasm for the kinetic arts will frolic and frenzy through the upcoming season of performances with many hopes for an encore!