On the evening of Saturday, May 17th I had the pleasure of attending Mashup’s Choreography Open Mic Night, an event that uplifts local choreographers and brings the larger dance community together. The performance took place at Mashup’s home studio in Frogtown that was transformed into a grandiose black box theater with a casual atmosphere.
MashUp Open Mic Night – “trois en un” by Lydia McDonald – Photo by Kelly Mustapha.
Opening the evening of short works was trois en un, choreographed by Lydia McDonald, a Mashup dancer, and performed to the familiar sounds of Nina Simone’s “Ne Me Quitte Pas”. A trio of dancers, including Lydia and two other dancers whose names were not listed in the program wore nude slip dresses and had a clear intentful focus from the start. The choreographic choices included a lot of cantilever partnering, and striking imagery from the three highly skilled dancers. Lydia’s choreographic choices have clear focus and use the levels of space quite nicely.
MashUp Open Mic Night – “Sticking Points” by Lauren Bramlett – Photo by Kelly Mustapha.
Following the first piece was Sticking Points choreographed by Lauren Bramlett, a work that highlighted a soloist dressed in dark grey, surrounded by three other dancers in an orangey brown costume. The soloist, whose name is unfortunately not mentioned in the program, was striking in her use of isolation and pull of focus. It was clear that the other dancers surrounding her were influencing her in a way that provoked self reflection and internal turmoil. Bramlett’s work had a nice way of flowing through solo, partnering, and group unison as well as her attention to detail in the articulation of the movement. This work was performed to “Defibrillator” by Eluvium, “Drowning Tone” by Eluvium, and “Redford” by Sufjan Stevens.
MashUp Open Mic Night – “Co-” by Trinity Massey and Maretzys Gandara – Photo by Kelly Mustapha.
The third work titled Co- was a piece performed as two duets side by side. Choreographed by Trinity Massey and Maretzys Gandara and performed with the soundtrack of “It Feels Foolish to Care”, “4pm”, and “Songs for a tuned guitar” by Claire Rousay. Each duet had an entanglement of sorts, one being a white, long sleeve button up and the other being a long piece of red string. The duets had separate experiences as they got woven in and out of one another. Co- is a thoughtful piece that could benefit from developing clearer intentions as it left me wondering what the relationship between the partners, the other duet, and the objects were.
MashUp Open Mic Night – “The Conductor” by Freya Starks – Photo by Kelly Mustapha.
Following Co- was a piece choreographed by Freya Starks titled The Conductor and performed by a large ensemble to the soundtrack of “Standing on the Horizon” by Woodkid. This work was refreshing as it was a complete change of dynamic and energetic tone than the following pieces. The piece had a clear storyline as one dancer stood atop a platform with a conductor’s baton who seemingly influenced the movement, energy, and spatial design of the dancers. Starks choreographed a clear struggle for power over the baton and role of the conductor and I appreciated the performers high energy.
MashUp Open Mic Night – “Once was a Dove” by Dalya Modlin – Photo by Kelly Mustapha.
Dalya Modlin choreographed and performed the next work titled Once was a Dove which was my personal favorite of the evening. Wearing all white with lace bloomers, Modlin was captivating from the minute she entered the stage, before the piece had even begun. Modlin’s use of articulation, release and suspension, and seamless transitions spoke to her abilities as not just a dancer but a choreographer. The work reflected the dove imagery as there were remnants of bird-like qualities, as if trying to remember what it was like to fly. There are some performers who naturally have a quality that draws you in and Dalya is surely one of those dancers. This work was performed to “Mezame (Awakening)” by Carlos Niño.
MashUp Open Mic Night – A solo by Jess Wicke – Photo by Kelly Mustapha.
The next soloist was choreographed and performed by another Mashup dancer, Jess Wicke who was mesmerizing from the start. Wearing a black corset dress and a black veil over her face, Wicke moved within the confines of a chair showcasing a sensual and powerful quality. The most poignant moment of the work was when Wicke removed the veil to show her face, notably her intentful eyes. As Wicke ventured away from the chair she showcased her beautiful lines and technical skills with moments of complete release and lack of control. This work was set to “Girl” by Men I Trust.
To close the show was Beauty Plea by Elaina Greenawalt that featured herself and three other dancers. The work was set up to have strong elements of storytelling with drastically different costumes for each dancer, a podium and a gavel, and distinct gestures that became motifs for each performer. However, the construction of the piece left me questioning the purpose of this setup and what the relationship between one another and the judges’ gavel was. Because I found myself pondering these questions, it kept me from fully appreciating the technical ability of the dancers and the strong use of motifs in Greenawalt’s work.
It was a pleasure to attend one of Mashup’s quarterly Choreography Open Mic Nights as I got an inside look into the work of emerging choreographers in Los Angeles. Mashup’s cultivation of these events are a great contribution to the dance community in providing a platform for choreographers and dancers alike.
For more information about MashUp Contemporary Dance Company, please visit their website.
Written by Rebecca Lee for LA Dance Chronicle.
Featured image: MashUp Choreography Open Mic Night – Work by Elaina Greenawalt – Photo by Kelly Mustapha.
