Parson's Dance Company

Today courtesy of David, five of the Rutgers costume design students viewed Parson's Dance Company's performance at the Joyce Theatre. Oh, it was so nice to see a good dance show again! The seats were front and center. For the most part, this is a reasonable location for this sort of show, but at times I wished I were further back--like when one of the dancers miscalculated and leapt into the lap of a girl five seats down. A gasp, a leap and a step...he was back into the piece, no injuries or pause to see.

Overall it was a fabulous concert. We saw the "B" program, as David's more interesting design was included. Wolfgang, six dancers, ballet, 18th century suggested costumes. A nice simple piece. The perfect one to start with. While it was a phenomenal piece, to have it follow anything else in the show would have been disastrous. It really was a well arrange program.

Hands was fascinating. Five company members performed, using only their hands. In fact the only part you could see was their hands. After a while the objects moving before us ceased to look like hands at all and took on the form of moving, undulating, flowing lights. The piece had a wonderful sense of humor about it too, using only their hands. Sometimes I wonder how much actors are really missing out on when they restrict their expressions to the face and voice.

Union was an odd piece though, after a point, I ceased to watch the movement (something akin to human knots slowly being formed) and focused on the bodies of the dancers. The costumes couldn't really let you focus on much else. A design by Donna Karen (yes of DKNY). Simple, tight fitting black unitards edges with what I thought to be blue. However, the unitards only covered one leg and one arm on each dancer. Some covered the chest, some left it half exposed, some (guys) were completely bare chested. The muscle on these dancers was incredible. I couldn't help but gap in awe as they braced themselves against each other.

Act Two opened with Caught. If the lighting hadn't been impressive enough to begin with... This number, a solo, started with what I would consider fairly run of the mill modern (similar to the solo Susan Gingrasso performed at Point three years ago). Running, sustaining, pausing, running again, coming into and out of the light....that was the first hint that this piece would be a good one. The dancer literally disappeared as he retreated from the light and emerged from nothing as he stepped into it. He ended upstage center when the meat of the piece was exposed. Strobe lighting took over the rest of the piece...not the continuous flashing strobes, but isolated moments, timed to catch the dance mid-air, mid-step, mid turn...he did a series of movements that, with the strobes, made it appear as if he was materializing at different points on the stage without effort...first in a circle around the stage, then from one side to the other, then fading towards the back. Another series made him appear to walk in the air. It was incredible what these snapshots of light fooled us into believing. I did notice to wonderful tricks the company used...the dancer had the remote that triggered the lights. Instead of relying on timer or a board op, he would cue the light himself at the appropriate moment. I also noticed a person in white in the downstage wing. A focal point and marking tool for the dancer. I can not imagine how difficult it would be to keep your place on the stage with a violent burst of light like that. It was surprisingly easy on the eyes as well. There was enough pause between each burst to let the eye refocus (I think the lights only truly strobed at one point). After each sequence, the dancer would end up upstage center in a pool of white light, as if he had never moved, again letting our eyes rest before the next sequence. I haven't been this impressed with lighting in a long time.

The final number was choreographed to Earth Wind and Fire. Wonderfully upbeat, sexy, fun and seventies! Again, phenomenal lighting. And all of the dancers looked like they loved what they were doing.

The entire concert was so uplifting. Everyone left in better spirits than they came in with. Not all theater may have a message, but this certainly had an impact.