Caitlin Javech looks at herself in the reflection of a shimmery, tape-like material on the ground. It feels intimate for a second. A narrative of introspection grows, but then she quickly rips the material off the floor and waves it around like a flag. That soft expression she once had in the reflection dissipates from her face. That raw feeling crumbles with each bend in the shimmery tape.
TORRENT – L-R Jane Zogbi, Chloe Madding, Rebecca Lee in “Currents of the Mind” by Caitlin Javech – Photo by Hope Spears.
‘Currents of the Mind’ by TORRENT (led by Javech) is an evening-length work that embodies the relationship between humans and nature in an effort to understand the ramifications of emotional and environmental upheaval. The work presented at Odyssey Theatre Ensemble’s Dance at the Odyssey: Summer Edition 2025 festival poses a lot of broad questions and ideas about the human condition, but rarely does it find something concrete to latch onto. As a result, choreographer Javech sacrifices a strong narrative for aesthetics, relying on complex movements and design to tell a story only she can. With a concept so vague, she cuts herself out of the emotional exploration that the work teases and leaves nothing but an empty stage.
Before the dancers step onto the stage, an art installation by Jane Hamor transforms the space into an abstract, otherworldly representation of nature. The tape material clumps in the far-right corner of the venue and extends diagonally to create a reflective runway. Lighting designer Claire Chrzan activates the design by illuminating the set with warm light, making it shimmer like water. It resembles a waterfall.
TORRENT – Rebecca Lee and Joe Davis in ‘Rupture’ by Caitlin Javech – Photo by Hope Spears.
The movement itself is gorgeous. In the first section, ‘Rupture,’ Joe Davis and Rebecca Lee start the piece with a dynamic performance. Davis discovers a moment of balance before a hand pulls his body up from the opposite wrist. He moves one vertebra at a time, letting the rise and fall ripple through him. Similarly, Lee enables the movement to manifest with intention, allowing the gaze to be her guide. The duet is strong and structured, but Javech’s artistic vision lacks clarity and specificity. The relationship between the two dancers is complicated. There’s a tug and pull, but it often feels like they’re living in two different worlds in two different stories. As they pull the set piece apart, we are reminded that the waterfall is also part of the world, but what does it mean to them? At times it is a wall and at other times it is a place of communion. Without a clear decision, the gorgeous movement feels monotonous in an environment meant to provide a roadmap.
TORRENT – L-R Rebecca Lee, Jane Zogbi, Chloe Madding in “Currents of the Mind” by Caitlin Javech – Photo by Hope Spears.
The world of ‘Currents of the Mind’ is incredibly theoretical and intangible. It leaves the performers scrambling to find the tone. Is it sultry? Is it whimsical? Is it neurotic? Somehow, it is a mix of everything, bearing most of the storytelling weight on the movement itself. The last section, ‘Drive,’ brings Chloe Madding, Jane Zogbi and Lee together for a playful story filled with tension. They smile at each other and test the limits of their connection. Here, there’s potential for an emotional trio. However, that playfulness comes and goes. Two dancers will uphold the playful tone at a time, and once they separate, the smiles and childlike approach to movement disappear. They constantly switch from childlike play to dramatic tension, eliminating any possible arc to develop. Without an overarching tone to carry them forward, the message loses its strength.
TORRENT – Jane Zogbi in “Currents of the Mind” by Caitlin Javech – Photo by Hope Spears.
For a show that promises an emotional upheaval, the performances barely scratch the surface of emotional confrontation. Javech’s solo in ‘Threshold’ is mighty. She adds visually interesting details to her choreography. In a moment of stillness, she may stretch a bit further or unexpectedly turn her foot. Her turns are controlled and fruitful with imagery and challenging shapes. Underneath all the strength is an internal confrontation waiting to be released. Take the moment in the reflection, for example. After an intense release of quick movement, she turns to the ground. Those emotions start to bubble but get lost as she pulls the reflection away.
TORRENT – Caitlin Javech in her solo “Threshold” – Photo by Hope Spears.
This moment represents her inability to dig deeper. As she clings to the material that once captured a vulnerable moment with herself, there is no confrontation with what that moment means. How does it feel to peel that deep layer of yourself? Do you still feel that complicated emotion behind your eyes? Does it not feel painful or cathartic to wave it around the stage? Is it freeing? Instead, we see an emotionless expression as she swings the metallic material in front of the lights like a disco ball.
‘Currents of the Mind’ crafts a playground with the potential for self-discovery, but at the bottom of the bright, glimmering waterfall is nothing but shallow waters where dance has very little space to play.
To learn more about TORRENT, please visit their website.
For more information about the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble, please visit their website.
Written by Steven Vargas for LA Dance Chronicle.
Featured image: TORRENT – Caitlin Javech in her solo “Threshold” – Photo by Hope Spears.
