On November 1st, MashUp Contemporary Dance Company celebrated its 15th anniversary at Stomping Ground L.A. with Inflow, an evening that reflected on the company’s history while highlighting its continued evolution in the contemporary dance scene. The performance featured excerpts from longer works created over the past several years, standout solos, rehearsal videos, and a brand new ensemble piece performed by the full company. The night took the audience through a ride of emotions and left us with a special sense of inclusion as we got to see inside the rehearsal process of several of the pieces. At the end of the evening, the audience trickled out of the theatre to a sky lit up by fireworks from the Dodgers win, which felt like a cinematic end to this 15 year time capsule.
MashUp Contemporary Dance Company – Photo by Kelly Mustapha.
The program opened with excerpts from Unraveled (2019), choreographed by Victoria Brown and Sarah Rodenhouse. Three chairs sat onstage as the audience entered, immediately creating tension in the space as people took their seats. The dancers appeared in sheer, flowing tops, that mixed with powerful music and dynamic lighting felt like a scene you might watch in a film. Several solos and small groups broke out in distressed movements sometimes with the focus in a specific location in the room beyond the chairs and other times the gaze was seemingly unintentional and internal. Another group appeared in costumes which resembled hospital gowns which added to the ambiguity. Following the performance, a video revealed the choreographers’ intention to explore feelings of shame. As an audience we often do not get to hear from the choreographers about their creative process so these clips shown throughout the evening gave us a special look into MashUp’s practices as a company. The dancers in this piece were Chloe Lopina, Lydia McDonald, Lexie O’Neal, Madi Ostrach, Sasha Serdyukov, Melissa Valenzuela, Katherine Lingle, Chloe Lopina, Lydia McDonald, Lexie O’Neal, Madi Ostrach, Sasha Serdyukov, Melissa Valenzuela, Bethany Violett, and Jess Wicke.
A particularly touching moment came when former company member Diana Vaden returned to perform a solo originally created on her in 2010 by Victoria Brown and Sarah Rodenhouse. The piece entitled Science, was more upbeat and jazz-inspired, providing a refreshing contrast to the darker tone of the first couple of works. Vaden’s confident, grounded performance, paired with archival rehearsal footage from 15 years ago, was revealing as to her evolution as an artist. It was inspiring to see her reclaim the movement with focus and maturity.
MashUp Contemporary Dance Company – Photo by Kelly Mustapha.
In addition to live performances, the program included a short dance film created in response to pandemic restrictions. Thresholds: Chaos to Control, choreographed by Victoria Brown and performed by Jess Wicke, used sharp lighting bent by mirrors, and quick editing cuts that reflected the precise movements done by Wicke.
The most powerful work of the evening was an excerpt from Anarcha (2024), choreographed by Jessie Lee Thorne. The piece felt almost whimsical as it began with Madi Ostrach putting on shoes from on top of one of the four boxes set in a window pattern on stage. Her movements were airy as she utilized the box in moments of collapse and release. She was joined by Lexie O’Neal, Bethany Violett, and Jess Wicke, who together delivered a powerful section of hard hitting unison, throwing themselves over and around the boxes in a perfect combination of abandon and control. Their precision and intensity made this performance a standout of the night.
MashUp Contemporary Dance Company – Photo by Kelly Mustapha.
Another milestone celebrated during Inflow was MashUp’s collaboration with musician Margot MacDonald, who composed original soundscapes and ambient vocals for their 2022 full length work Power. Several excerpts from this collaboration were presented, including a striking solo by Jane Zogbi, who exhibited strength, control, and subtlety that commanded attention in the way that a teacher might do with a simple look.
A memorable solo, Unseen Echo, came from Bethany Violett, performing choreography by Victoria Brown. Dressed in a long black gown and braid reminiscent of The Witch, Violett commanded the space with an eerie precision. As strobe lights flickered, she stared directly into the audience, her movement sharp and restrained. The piece ended abruptly, like a cinematic cut to black that left the audience feeling uneasy and reminiscent of Halloween just the day before.
MashUp Contemporary Dance Company – Photo by Kelly Mustapha.
The evening concluded with a new ensemble work Focused Chaos, choreographed by Victoria Brown and performed live for the first time. The entire company filled the stage and featured MashUp’s signature sharp hitting movements, quick transitions, and clean unison moments. The work was both a celebration of the company’s past and a testament to its continued vitality, perfectly encapsulating 15 years of artistic growth, collaboration, and innovation as we look forward to the next 15 years. The company dancers featured in this piece and throughout the evening were Katherine Lingle, Chloe Lopina, Lydia McDonald, Lexie O’Neal, Madi Ostrach, Sasha Serdyukov, Melissa Valenzuela, Bethany Violett, Jess Wicke, and Jane Zogbi.
To learn more about MashUp Contemporary Dance Company, please visit their website.
Written by Denali Huff for LA Dance Chronicle.
Featured image: MashUp Contemporary Dance Company – Photo by Kelly Mustapha.
