Thursday, June 25, 2026 opened the second weekend of Dance at the Odyssey 2026: Summer Edition featuring work by two very different choreographers. Lincoln Seymour trained, among other places, at the prestigious Glorya Kaufman School of Dance and performed as a guest artist with BODYTRAFFIC. Emma Shane is a junior majoring in Dance and Communications at Loyola Marymount University. The difference in maturity was obvious but the potential for each to excel was also evident.
Seymour choreographed and composed the music for and performed in “Rat Race” alongside the highly skilled dance artists Julia Lowe, Ryan Amato, Emily Fluker, and Robert Hoffer. The descriptions that come to mind when thinking about “Rat Race” were fast paced and loose-limbed but closely knitted movement, repetition of a physical theme that kept on developing, and high tension energy.
Work by Lincoln Seymour – Photo by Cheryl Mann.
If anything interrupted the mentioned descriptions, it would be the constant use of blackouts. Those became far too predictable. This does not, however, take away the power of Seymour’s choreography. He took images of the emotional drain that repetitive 9 to 5 jobs often affect people and translated them into an abstract visual physicality. Gestures reoccurred and became frantic statements of exasperation.
Seymour utilized the simple acts of walking and running to express the rush, the drive and the ambition that is often perceived necessary for a business person to excel and successfully “climb the ladder”. And, he showed the physical and emotional toll that they wrought on seekers of leadership and financial gain.
Not only does Seymour display great potential as a choreographer and composer, he is also a beautiful dancer. He knows too, how to choose dancers and performers who will make his vision a reality. The entire cast of “Rat Race” was spectacular, but my eye kept being drawn to Julia Lowe and Ryan Amato each of whom possess a distinctive stage presence.
Emma Shane in her solo “Return to Instructions” – Photo by Josh Rose, courtesy of LMU.
“Return to Instructions” was choreographed and performed by Emma Shane to an audio mix of music by Max Richter and ESKAMON. Performing a lengthy one person show is difficult for most. Her dance theater piece showed promise and Shane is a strong performer who also knows how to use and develop repetitive gestural movement. What is apparent, however, is Shane’s naiveté, something that only time can alter.
A computer, a beautiful pair of red, white and black shoes, a shirt and Post-it notes were props that aided Shane in telling her story of “…ideas of power and validation.” What did not work was her interaction with the audience, handing them Post-it notes without giving them clear instructions as to what to do with them. Because of how intensely Shane handed them out and her frantically crumpling up the remainder of the small yellow pieces of paper, it sadly came across as an idea of audience participation that failed.
Emma Shane in her solo “Return to Instructions” – Photo by Josh Rose, courtesy of LMU.
Shane gets her point across fairly early in the piece and during the Q&A I learned that she combined another short solo that she had previously performed at LMU with new material to create “Return to Instructions”. Perhaps this explains how parts of the work felt disjointed or separate, like they belong in a yet to be made work that includes more dancers or made into a film which is Shane’s other passion.
Shane is very young and she has time on her side. Her talents were visible and hopefully she will get the training and guidance to realize the potential I saw in this performance.
For this viewer, the overuse of blackouts distracted from both “Rat Race” and “Return to Instructions”. Just something for the choreographers to consider.
The stark but powerful lighting for both works was by the Festival Lighting Designer Katelan Braymer. Dance at the Odyssey was curated by Barbara Müller-Wittmann and produced by Müller-Wittmann and Beth Hogan.
LINEAGE MVMT – Photo courtesy of Dance at the Odyssey.
Dance at the Odyssey continues through July 5, 2026: June 26, 2026, 8pm – Lincoln Seymour and Dancers’ Rat-Race and LINEAGE MVMT’s Solstice; June 27, 2026, 8pm & June 28, 2pm – Donofrio Dance Collective’s BETTY and Ricky Medina’s Mighty Praise; July 2, 2026, 8pm – Maggie Ogle’s Thresholds; July 3, 2026, 8pm – Cora Laszlo’s Gambiarra Imaginary Solutions for Love; and July 5, 2026, 2pm – Tanz Tanz Revolution’s (TTR) Sonder and Katie Tuchi’s DOUBTING THOMAS.
For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble website.
Written by Jeff Slayton for LA Dance Chronicle.
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