ARC Pasadena is a great space to see dance as the performers are right in front of you and up close. I like seeing the work, the effort and the calm focus of the technique made bare. There was a lovely spiritual aspect to this performance by Deborah Rosen and Dancers. Laine Proctor was a guest singer for the event and according to her bio is “interested in music as a healing modality and a spiritual practice”. Amen! She demonstrated this beautifully by walking us into the space utilizing incense and vocal incantation. She has a warm rich voice, and her style was engaging and transporting. She created a calm and welcoming atmosphere.
Deborah Rosen and Dancers – Vocalist Laine Procter – Photo by Matt Lara.
The dancers then took the stage for an excerpt of “FRAG….mented”. They were Natalie Bojorquez, Robert Huerta, Thomas Ng, Sara Scrimshaw. This piece was a contemplation of fragmented psyches and how that affects an individual, alone and while interacting within a group. There were troubled and haunting sequences of movement amid the quiet comfort of finding solace in others. Fights, longing, acceptance and ostracism all played a part in the twisting of emotions. A template of the Human experience past and especially now, today. The music by Dustin O’Halloran, Hauschka, Hayden Thorpe and Ranko Sajfar was often in contrast with the movement which worked well. The soft cadences of the music belied the tumultuous feelings under the surface and supplied the tension to the piece. The choreography for the evening was made by the ensemble in collaboration with Deborah Rosen.
Deborah Rosen and Dancers – Natalie Bojorquez, Robert Huerta, Thomas Ng, Sara Scrimshaw in “FRAG….mented” – Photo by Matt Lara.
“Gaia” was a solo for Sara Scrimshaw and an excerpt of a longer piece entitled “Pollen”. The costume by Alicia Mosley was a fantastic evening dress with halter top and bright red and gold with ruffles. It moved brilliantly and was a major factor in the choreography. The side light caught the hues of the dress and made Scrimshaws’ skin tone pop like a painting in a gallery. There were strong visuals due to the lighting and black backdrop. Lighting design by Kayla Safavi was extremely effective and added overall to the evening.
Deborah Rosen and Dancers – Robert Huerta in Prelude to “ATZMI” – Photo by Matt Lara.
“ATZMI” (essence of myself) Prelude, a solo for Robert Huerta which preceded the larger group, was an essay in tortured feelings portrayed by his smoothly connected contortions and extensions. He utilizes every inch of his body and holds nothing back in his expression of it. The others join him onstage, and the group breaks apart and comes together intermittently. At one point I was struck by the image of Natalie Bojorquez walking with arms at right angles in port-de-bras looking like a Minoan Goddess and conjuring forth her power of creation. The costumes for this were gorgeous, made by Andrew Palomares consisting of diaphanous pants and shirts of shimmering golden material. This created a light play on the costumes and skin which served the choreography as if chiaroscuro. The music by Ranko Sajfar was soft and compelling. Interspersed with the choreography were musical offerings by Laine Proctor which were lovely songs and served to clear the palate in between the movement work.
Deborah Rosen and Dancers – Natalie Bojorquez, Robert Huerta, Thomas Ng, Sara Scrimshaw in “ATZMI” – Photo by Matt Lara.
My only caveat would be that both pieces, “FRAG…mented” and “ATZMI” seem very much alike in form and meaning. Their music was similar and the emotional state in each was serious and angst-ridden displaying psychological turmoil. A program consisting of both light and darker pieces would show more range in both the performers and the choreography.
To learn more about Deborah Rosen and Dancers, please visit their website.
Written by Brian Fretté for LA Dance Chronicle.
Featured image: Deborah Rosen and Dancers – Sara Scrimshaw in “Gaia” – Photo by Matt Lara.
