Curated by Barbara Müller-Wittmann, the summer Dance at the Odyssey 2024 festival opened with the Selcouth Dance Theatre Company led by artistic director and choreographer Marianna Varviani. Varviani’s work titled MARK was first seen in January of this year at Highways Performance space in Santa Monica. Although I had some issues about the work, I wrote in my review “MARK has potential and is a work that Varviani should continue to develop. I look forward to seeing where it takes her.” On Saturday, June 29th MARK looked like a different work. I will paraphrase what an audience member who had also seen both performances said: “I enjoyed both versions of MARK but tonight’s version was much clearer, stronger and the dancers appeared more connected.”
As the audience entered, we were offered the opportunity to leave our mark on several posters that lined the back black papered wall. These were posters that would later become props. Several people did go up and write their names or statements and a couple actually drew on the wall, which was otherwise completely covered with black paper.
Selcouth Dance Theatre Company in MARK, choreography by Marianna Varviani – Photo by Scott Edwards.
Luckily Varviani did not alter the very powerful opening section which I later learned was called City by the dancers. While the gestures and stances were at first pedestrian, they slowly developed into the emotions and sensations that a large city or other busy and concentrated area might affect people internally or physically. The exquisite performance by the central figure Sophia Fan Lin vividly brought those affects into reality. Her anguish was eventually softened by others around her, and the work moved on.
MARK was a dance theater piece which Varviani wrote was inspired by street dance vocabularies, Krump, pedestrian gestures and contemporary dance perspectives. She created several powerful groupings of performers that somehow interacted but remained solitary. It was a feeling that probably the majority of humans experience throughout their lives, mingling with a crowd but feeling isolated inside their minds.
Selcouth Dance Theatre Company in MARK, choreography by Marianna Varviani – Center dancer Sophia Fan Lin – Photo by Scott Edwards.
There were duets that expressed how in some relationships one of the individuals often leaves either positive or negative impressions on the other. A relationship that begins as a loving and open one can sometimes turn into one person dominating the other and/or becoming abusive. Marks such as those can take a lifetime to overcome. Other duets were more friendly but somehow Varviani always turned the table on them to leave a question as to whether or not the relationship was healthy.
Selcouth Dance Theatre Company in MARK, choreography by Marianna Varviani – dancer Maya Peterson – Photo by Scott Peterson.
One section that stood out in my mind was when a single figure, Tyler Law, was being ostracized by the group became suicidal or emotionally destroyed. Another performer, Maya Peterson, unsuccessfully attempts to come to save her, and physically supports the wounded woman on her back as she crawls away. Varviani shows the effect of this on the others and the entire group becomes more empathetic.
At one early point, the posters were removed from the wall and attached by large clips to a single bar that is lowered. Near the end, some of these posters were removed by each performer who created different environments with them. One read from hers as if it were a newspaper. Another created a confined space to express loneliness. Another wrapped her poster around her ankles so that she later needed help being moved. This led to the performers writing on the back wall with different colored markers which we later learned was to express the mark they wanted to leave on the world.
Selcouth Dance Theatre Company in MARK, choreography by Marianna Varviani Dancer reading Sophia Fan Lin – Photo by Scott Edwards.
MARK offered numerous variations of how one can make a difference on others or how a situation can change a person’s viewpoint. How the work was conceived and constructed left it to the viewer to interrupt those differences causing it to be, say, a very individually immersive experience.
Selcouth Dance Theatre Company in MARK, choreography by Marianna Varviani – Photo by John Nyboer.
The very talented cast of MARK included McKenzie Barkdull, Tyler Law, Sophia Fan Lin, Maya Peterson, Anna Simonova, and Kai Toles.
The music score that greatly enhanced the work to create the necessary tension was composed by Yvonne Yifeng Yuan, the Scenic Design was by Berfin Ataman Studio, the appropriate costumes were designed Carley Brandeaux, and the lighting that greatly aided in creating different atmospheres for the work was designed by Alexis Cohen.
Selcouth Dance Theatre Company in MARK – Photo by Farida Amar.
Dance at the Odyssey continues through July 14th with Bernard Brown & Joey Narvarrete-Medina (July 6th at 8pm), Olivia Liberati & Intrepid Dance Project (July 7th at 2pm), Leah Zeiger (July 11th at 8pm), Maia Makihara & hasten dance (July 12th at 8pm), TORRENT, Caitlin Javech & Gianna Burright (July13th at 2pm & 8pm), and G.U.M., Genna Moroni & Helene Bouboulis (July 14th at 2pm).
To learn more about Marianna Varviani & Selcouth Dance Theater Company, please visit their website.
To learn more about Dance at the Odyssey, please visit their website.
Written by Jeff Slayton for LA Dance Chronicle.
Featured image: Selcouth Dance Theatre Company in MARK, choreography by Marianna Varviani – Photo by Scott Edwards.
