Review: BlakTinx Dance Festival “Dancing On the Edge” – Program Four

Program Four concluded The BlaKTinx Dance Festival’s Dancing On the Edge with seven videos that were in response to the Black Lives Matter movement and/or the COVID-19 quarantine. Presented by Bootleg Theater and curated by Director Licia Perea, the online presentation of Dancing On the Edge was made possible with the support of the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs which has greatly helped dance artists in their turn to technology following the cancelation of concerts caused by the pandemic. The choreographers featured on Program Four included Sofia Carreras, Nancy Rivera Gomez, Amber Morales, Maura Townsend, Eluza Santos, Rubí Danielle Morales, and Bernard Brown.

Sofia Carreras first presented her work on the BlakTinx Festival (BKTX) in 2013 and was part of the festival for 5 of the eight years BKTX has been in existence. Sadly, Carreras died this year, and to honor her memory, her work titled Under the Boot was presented on the final program. The work was first presented on the 2014 BlakTinx Festival at the Bootleg Theater.

Here is part of what Licia Perea and Irvin Gonzalez wrote about Carreras in the program notes: “She always brought her passion, professionalism and energy anywhere she was. We always welcomed her to Bootleg and BlakTinx with open arms over the years.”

Choreographed to songs by French artist Edith Piaf, Carreras dressed her five dancers in dark street clothes and boot-like shoes. Carreras’ choreography is as stark and physical as Piaf’s voice and just as human. And just like many of Piaf’s songs, Under the Boot expressed loneliness and personal struggles while working against a common enemy. Carreras did not inform us on who the oppressor was wearing the boot, but that was part of the strength of her work; it was a universal cry for justice and freedom. With Sofia Carreras’ death, dance lost an extraordinarily strong voice. I highly recommend that you view this work.

The performers in Under the Boot were Stella Aryan, CJ Logel, Justin Morris, Tracy Tom-Hoon, and Alicia Slaughter. The Lighting Designer was Wouter Feldbusch and the Videographer/Editor was José Garcia Davis.

“Under the Boot” Choreography by Sofia Carreras – Photo courtesy of BlakTinx Dance Festival

Nancy Rivera Gomez is a wonderfully talented young artist. For her intriguing film titled Focus in which she expressed and dissected her frustrations brought on by sheltering-in-place, Gomez was the choreographer, performer, filmmaker, and editor.

Gomez analyzed the camera angles as well as the challenges of confinement. The screen is divided into beautiful pastel panels, twisted around in a kaleidoscope-like beehive and then broken into multiple pieces. Her movements consisted primarily of hand and arm gestures that resemble a photographer setting the focus of her camera lens. Those same gestures focus inward, however, giving the viewer a look into her psyche.

The music for Focus was by German electronic composer Frank Bretschreider.

Nancy Gomez – Photo courtesy of BlakTinx Dance Festival

Freedom choreographed, performed, and edited by Amber Morales was simply a physical release Morales performed to Aretha Franklin’s wonderful song “Think”. Performed outside on a patio, with two cute dogs running about, Morales expressed what every dancer forced to shelter-in-place desires, the freedom to move. The Videographer was Crystal Morales

Amber Morales – Photo courtesy of BlakTinx Dance Festival

Maura Townsend’s Pendulum (A Call for Change) was performed on the 2014 BlakTinx Festival. The choreography came complete with lovely movement phrases, moments of thoughtful interactions between performers, and a few scenes laced with gestures of protest. Take away the lyrics of the songs, however, and Pendulum (A Call for Change) might pass simply as a movement piece designed to showcase the lead dancer dressed in white, and one that far too often broke out into unison dancing.

The performers were Community People: Ronaldo Bowens, Duron Lemar, and Marlena Arteaga; Spiritual Warriors: Stacey Strickland, Corey Hadriel, Jr., and Wen-Chun Tang. The music was by John King and Kevin Yost. Lighting Design by Wouter Feldbusch.

“Pendulum A Call for Change” Choreography by Maura O. Townsend – Photo courtesy of BlakTinx Dance Festival

Tudo Passa (Everything Passes) was an upbeat vehicle for Eluza Santos to improvise in her bedroom overlooking the ocean and to let us know that this too shall pass. Sadly, the video suffered from poor lighting control that left Santos obscured in shadow for the better half of her performance. The music was by Lulu Santos and Nelson Motta. Video and Voice by Robert Russ.

Eluza Santos – Photo courtesy of BlakTinx Dance Festival

Rubí Danielle Morales is a wonderful mover who managed in a short time to express what I am sure we all must be experiencing during this pandemic: fear, depression and being on the edge of falling apart. Filmed in black and white by Crystal Moralles, What the Hell is Going On takes place within the confines of a lovely but small kitchen that adds to the feeling of entrapment. The video and the music end abruptly, which bothered me the first time through, but later made perfect sense to me; in March of this year, the world came to a screeching halt. The Music was by Imogen Heap.

Rubi Morales – Photo courtesy of BlakTinx Dance Festival

The festival ended with a very upbeat and inspiring video titled Insula/Island choreographed, performed, filmed, and edited by the dynamic and beautiful dancer Bernard Brown (Bernard Brown/BBMoves)Dancing on the bluffs next to the Pacific Ocean with random passersby, sea gulls and a beautiful Boxer dog who just wanted to play, Brown left us with a message of hope and to embrace this time to learn about ourselves. The music included “insula,” “before you go” and “and so I come to isolation” by Moses Sumney.

At the end of his film he leaves us with the following message written by American author, professor, feminist, and social activist bell hooks (Gloria Jean Watkins): “Knowing how to be solitary is central to the art of loving. When we can be alone, we can be with others without using them as a means of escape.”