Dance

After a somewhat vague talk by the Director Rafael Palacios, I was not optimistic about this performance. Moore Theatre was not very full either. I was proven absolutely wrong by this dynamic and fast-paced performance. The music was rhythmic and enticing, and never let up. The dancers moved incredibly quickly, with their hands sometimes blurring with movement. And it was quite something to watch the woman with long dreadlocks whipping around.

The group dances cleverly alternated with individual sequences, perhaps so the group could catch its breath.

Everyone was wearing shirt and tie, making it a city scene. Slavery came into play in one scene where all were sitting in a row, and one of the dancers checked each one, inspecting their head or their feet.

The music was a mix, with some sounding very African, some Latin. The second song was sung on stage by Juan Jose Luna Coha, with drum accompaniment, and then he went into another song with a small flute. The last song was Riding the Waves, and its steady fast rhythm ended the show on a high now.

Dance Company website

It started in silence with a sitting dancer, moving hands and arms. But then the drums kicked in, and the dancing started. The musicians were on the stage: piano, 2 drummers, and violin. And when the drumming and dancing picked up, it was incredible: vigorous, dynamic, exciting.

After the show, without any break, 2 dancers came in front of the curtain to talk to the audience. First they asked for adjectives: people’s feeling for the show. But then it descended into bafflegab. At one point Camille came out to join them. She said that one of her themes was superheroes, and that the indication was standing straight with arms on hips, or else, tearing open your shirt to reveal the superman badge. I didn’t get that from the show – but it didn’t matter.

A dynamic dance performance in the intimate setting of Moore Theatre.  And fortunately intimate, because my tickets were actually for the previous night, so I ended up sitting in the back (luckily there were some seats available).

The first dance, Incredible Waltz, was very impressive, as it was quite long.  The 3rd dance, Why You Follow, was my favorite.  The dance really followed the music very closely, with a strong rhythmic punctuation.

The Q&A after the show was very interesting. The Executive Director, Fernando Sáez, was very articulate and well-spoken.  He was joined by the other co-founders, both dancers: Olsnel Delgado and Daileidys Carrazana.  In response to a question about politics, he said they weren’t explicitly political, but like everyone, they were affected by politics.  For example, they were unable to return home to Cuba over Christmas, for fear they would not be allowed back in the USA to resume their tour in January.  As a result they remained in the USA over the holidays, relying on friends and patrons.

There was a nice introduction to the show at the Top of the Hop where a piano/bongo duo played Cuban classics like Chan Chan at the open bar area.

malpasodance.com

Malpaso Playbill

Malpaso Study Guide

A short performance before a small mostly student audience in Moore Theater.  The program was introduced by the two guest directors.

The first piece seemed a bit uneven, although there was a great section with 4 spinning couples near the end.

The second piece that gave the name to the program featured a pianist on stage playing the Satie piece, apparently a 100-year anniversary.

The third piece 3 in 5/4 started with dancing that really meshed well with Brubeck’s classic Take Five.  The male solo with the white gloves was also effective.

The final piece fittingly titled The End had the composer and artist sitting at a desk at the back of the stage.  There was a series of grid like multi-coloured projections on the back screens and the dancers that had some great strobe-like effects.

Dartmouth Dance Winter 2014 Program Notes