Jacob Jonas The Company (JJTC) presented two works at The Water Garden in the heart of Silicon Beach this past Wednesday, November 16, 2022. After seeing many empty office space performances around LA, this was by far the most successful in terms of direction, guidelines, and easy access. Walking into a ground floor space at The Water Garden, already felt like an invitation to be creative, to explore, and to be supported by the founders of this distinguished building. JJTC had a small room to the left of the entrance where they looped several films through a global platform they produce and direct for called Films.Dance. Through a simple white wall, and projector, a few low circular furniture pieces, the audience members could sit and watch and lose themselves in the dance films. What I loved most about the pre-show set up is that it wasn’t forced or pretentious. You could casually wander in, sit awhile, wander out, get a drink, and come back to see something new. Rarely in LA do we see the decision making up to the spectator, and with JJTC this would not be the last moment of the evening where the audience could make up their own mind.
Jacob Jonas The Company – Photo by Jacob Jonas
As the audience took their seats, and the lights dimmed, we were first met with a globe glow of sunrise orange on the back wall upstage. The premier of Early Bird, with choreography by Jacob Jonas, hit on the theme of nature and all its many similar, but not identical, habits of instinct. The dancers entered one by one in a fast running movement only to halt near a corner or wall. With beautiful costumes by Anamarys Perez, every performer’s clothing mimicked that of a bird near water, with feathery earthy tones in both the pants and mesh brown tops. Performers Tal Barnston, James Blackston, Isabella Caso, Chadwick Gaspard, Emma Rosenzweig-Bock, and Jill Wilson executed bird-like qualities without it being mimicry or cliché in any way. Each dancer embodied the attributes, intentions, and personalities of, not really a bird, but of something feathered, something of a fowl nature. If anything, the choreography highlighted the true nature of humans, and drew that thin line of relatability between flock and fancy. The dancers repeated similar movements in repetition with different partners, a pairing we often see in the natural world. There was an overarching pattern to the movement that was congenial and informative. The dancers would duet in a way that seemed matter of fact or even harsh to the bystander, as if they were getting the job done, or hunting for something underground. JJTC in general has a detachment from brain to heart to body in their movement. This practical approach to choreography is refreshing, well executed, and remarkable to watch. The beautiful soundscape by Joe Berry gave enough emotion to let the audience members fill in the negative space of how they’ve interacted with the natural world from memory. The simple but elegant movement of Early Bird is one of JJTC masterpieces to date.
Jacob Jonas The Company – Photo by Jacob Jonas
Juxtapose was the second piece of the evening, with choreography by Jacob Jonas and performance by dancers Tal Barnston, James Blackston, Isabella Caso, Chadwick Gaspard, Baptista Kawa, Taylor Lopez, Emma Rosenzweig-Bock, Renee Stewart, Layne Willis, and Jill Wilson. Really utilizing a sound effect, the choreography was loud and abrasive, and strong tempered. Each dancer began by falling to the floor and rolling from a different body part such as a hip, or shoulder, and letting the appendage that follows fall on its own to the floor. This sound of skin slapping the marley at any given time was unusual and very effective. Without a microphone, or echoed space, JJTC managed to give off something loud that resonated within my own body. There was a type of rippling pattern you would see or feel from an echo during moments of Juxtapose, where one dancer would crouch to the floor in an unusual shape, and the other dancers would place their heads in a row on the body in sequence like the undulation of a wave. Juxtapose was just as it suggests, juxtaposed choreography between simple and soft and then loud and harsh. With both linear lines and balletic extensions we had nods to the old in a way that felt relevant and necessary. The first part of the piece was in pure silence, and every breath, every skin tough could be felt and heard. The second part of the piece was the first part but with a change of lighting by the wonderful Will Adashek and music by composer Anibal Sandoval. With almost iridescent violet lighting, several small spotlights graced the stage in a predictable sequence, like something was being searched for but nobody knew what. Unfortunately, it felt as though the intended repetition was not nearly as constructive or beneficial from an audience’s perspective as the length of the sequence was too long. However, given the recurrence, it did give audience members a chance to truly soak in movement they may not have given notice to the first time around. Dance that makes you daze into daydreams or forgotten memories, such as JJTC, is the kind of dance you want to go back and see. There is a power each performer carries that is neither egotistical nor humble, but something in between. Being quite new to Jacob Jonas’ choreography, I can say without a doubt that this company is not to be missed live.
For more information about Jacob Jonas The Company, please visit their website.
Written by Grace Courvoisier for LA Dance Chronicle.
Featured image: Jacob Jonas The Company – Photo by Jacob Jonas
