Contempo Arts Productions presented “Fused” on Aug. 19th and 20th at the historic Alex Theater in Glendale. “Fused” is the brainchild of choreographer, Marine de Vachon, veteran ballerina who has performed leading roles for companies such as Charleston Ballet Theater, Pacific Ballet Dance Theater and Columbia City Ballet. Ms. de Vachon’s wish is to “bring unique and meaningful productions to the stage while bringing people of diverse cultures and backgrounds together.”
Using the quiet of the pandemic shutdown, Ms. de Vachon spent her time choreographing six new works. In these, she has made an effort to fuse classical ballet with other dance genres in an attempt to honor her mission statement. This is a worthy experiment and Ms. de Vachon is to be commended for her commitment to bringing this production to fruition. As the lights dimmed in the beautiful house of the Alex, my hopes were high.
Contempo Arts Production’s FUSED – Nicholas Sipes in “Loose Yourself” by Marine de Vachon – Photo by Cheryl Mann
“Loose Yourself” opened the show. Ms. de Vachon’s dance background appears to be strictly ballet and it is this vocabulary that is clearly the foundation for all six pieces. Unfortunately however, she does not have a grasp of the divergent techniques she attempts to incorporate into her dances to illustrate her stated premise. This lack of inherent understanding plagues the production throughout. Adding a few robotic moves and flat “modernesque” arms is not enough. When the music careens from classical to hip-hop there is nary a change in style or energy. Beginning with the classical Brandenburg and Dirty Orchestra by Black Violin, the track morphs into scratching with hip-hop beats, by The Fugue by DJ T-Rock & Squashy Nice. This fusion was a missed opportunity for an innovative surprise.
The dancers all work diligently with maximum concentration in what feels like an effort to keep up. There is little ease of movement, as the female dancers, often on point, struggle to find balance and placement. The male dancers also struggle, especially with lifts and dismounts. There was a palpable sense of “working hard” that left little room for joy.
Contempo Arts Production’s FUSED – Dave Naquin and Robbie Downey in “Mil Pasos” by Marine de Vachon – Photo by Cheryl Mann
“Mil Pasos” a ballet infused Tango missed the mark completely. It might be wise to bring in an expert in this field in order to be more authentic and truer to the style. The dancers were Robbie Downey and Dave Naquin, who danced without an ounce of chemistry. Music is by Soha.
Contempo Arts Production’s FUSED – Skye Schmidt, Taylor Massa, Lauren Gold, Taylor Unwin in “Miserere Moiroloi” by Marine de Vachon – Photo by Cheryl Mann
The strongest piece of the night was “Miserere Moiroloi,” a lament for an all-female cast. The music, consisting of three plaintive songs of longing, brings some welcome emotion to the stage. Dressed in backless red leotards and floor length ruby skirts, lined with yellow, the dancers moved smoothly, allowing the flowing skirts to become their own character. Because the movement was simple, the dancers could relax and enjoy the moment and so could we. The music was “Psalm 50” by Father SeraphimBit-Kharibi, Ederlezi, and Moiroloi.
Contempo Arts Production’s FUSED – Irina Gharibyan, Lucas Ataide in “Cosi Fan Tutti” by Marine de Vachon – Photo by Cheryl Mann
We returned after intermission to “Cosi Fan Tutti” music by Mozart in Egypt and “Mozart I’Egyptien” by Hughes de Courson. This pastiche of flirtatious women and jealous lovers set in the 1700’s was meant to be amusing but instead it was busy. The staging was confused, the dance over choreographed and the costumes distracting.
Contempo Arts Production’s FUSED – Taylor Massa, Andrii Strelkivskyi in “Apt 213” by Marine de Vachon – Photo by Cheryl Mann
The short “Apt. 213” followed. This was an attempt to bring a contemporary feel to a passionate dance for two. A relationship that is failing was at the heart of this and while we sensed the despair from dancer Andrii Strelkvkyi, his partner, Taylor Massa, seemed to have emotionally removed herself from the scene. Love and despair is always a fertile topic for a dance piece, but nothing new was brought to light here. Music was by Noir Desir.
Contempo Arts Production’s FUSED – Michela Melone (front), Lamonte Goode (back) in “Gone South” by Marine de Vachon – Photo by Cheryl Mann
The thought provoking “Gone South” was the final piece of the evening. Starting well with a chain gang of dancers moving in unison to the evocative slave songs of “99 Problems” by Hugo, “Broken Bones” by Kaleo and finally Moby’s “Flower,” this idea has potential. Ms. de Vachon was smart to bring in dancer-choreographers Lamonte Goode and Michela Melone to help facilitate this take on slavery and what it means today. This is a big subject to tackle and though it did not hold all the way through, there were interesting ideas presented. The freestylers, Lamonte Goode and Michela Melone, brought some much-needed fun to the stage. The B-Boy dance circle recalled an earlier time when slaves gathered to dance and sing for their own entertainment. Though the number ultimately lost its steam, the potential for a compelling statement is there.
Ms. de Vachon brought “Fused” together with the best of intentions, but her company is not quite ready for primetime. Still, she deserves kudos for her efforts, as putting together this or any show is no easy task. Perhaps with time, experience and collaboration, future productions will live up to her laudable mission.
Additional company dancers were, standout, Lucas Ataide, Paige Wilkey, Nicholas Sipes, Alexia Norris, Stepahnie Hall, Ottavio Taddei, Irina Gharibyan, Natalie Grina, Sky Schmidt, Damara Titmus, Christopher Frazier, Alina Bormotova, Amanda Beasley, Megan Van Deren, Carmen Callahan, Chloe Verkinder, Emma DeStassio, Lauren Gold and Taylor Unwin.
Costumes throughout were by Dai Le and Saori Mitome. Lighting Design was by Nathan Acheuer.
To learn more about Contempo Arts Productions, please visit their website.
To learn more about what is happening at The Alex Theatre in Glendale, please visit their website.
Written by Tam Warner for LA Dance Chronicle 8/22/2022.
Featured image: Contempo Arts Production’s FUSED – “Gone South” by Marine de Vachon – left to right: Amanda Beasley (back), Lauren Gold (front), Damara Titmus (back), Christopher Frazier (front), Michela Melone – Photo by Cheryl Mann
