This past weekend’s split bill of Double Bind at Highways Performance Space gave choreographers Sopia Oddi and Stephanie Dai the stage for new works “XX” and “URETCHKO”. The choreographers, accomplished in their own right, centered these works around a distinct question, “What happens when you are stuck – body, mind, or both?” and this query rang true for their works both in literal examination and figurative.
Alyssa Allen, Bella Allen, and Anne Kim in “XX” by Sophia Oddi – Photo by Patrick Kennelly.
Sophia Oddi’s piece “XX,” performed by Alyssa Allen, Bella Allen, and Anne Kim took on a narrative I think is rare in LA’s dance scene by conceptualizing a distinct beginning, middle, and end, not too far from a ballet. With ideas on the future, and a perspective on the past, this almost anti-post-modern feminism spectacle was both technical and humorous. Alyssa Allen sat on top of a white box, with legs crossed and a subtle twitch in her hand, while Bella Allen and Anne Kim entered in almost matching stark white dresses, reminiscent of a nurse or research lab coat. Mimicking a turn of the knob, both Bella and Anne “power up” Alyssa during various times of the performance. On the surface, the story seems simple…this is a research lab training a robot to perhaps do simple chores, like vacuuming, while imitating movements you would associate with a droid or technological breakdowns when something would go wrong or a fix needed to be made.
Alyssa Allen, Bella Allen, and Anne Kim in “XX” by Sophia Oddi – Photo by Patrick Kennelly.
The intriguing metaphoric moment of “XX” came when Kim pulled a single ribbon from Alyssa’s back side changing the course and makeup of how Alyssa interacted, thought, and moved. This of course is not necessarily a new concept, but it’s the ribbon perspective that caught my attention. Instead of a hard twist, a break, switch, or button, Oddi chose a textile full of feminine symbolism both flexible and historical. Ribbon, not only functional, but used as a status symbol to bring awareness to a distinct journey or emotional cause brought a much needed softness to the technicality and structure of “XX.” While the piece had some overplayed dramatics to showcase anger, frustration, or intrigue, it was impossible not to be invested in each of the character’s storylines and technically beautiful movement.
Stephanie Dai in her solo “URETCHKO” – Photo by Patrick Kennelly.
This was my second time viewing Staphanie Dai’s piece “URETCHKO” and seeing its transformation in both choreographic changes, and stage direction was so valuable for me, as an audience member, to its evolving state of modification. In complete silence, Dai begins to rotate her hands, ankles, and connecting extremities while her core and upper body try to adhere to control. The longer this imbalance plays out, the longer one has to build a narrative around the piece. The genius behind Dai’s work is her ability to understand the human nature around Pareidolia, the perception to impose a meaningful interpretation in a visual, pattern, or object. The whole reason behind why we find faces in the moon, or objects in the clouds. The choreography reflected specific internal dialogues that were relatable on a universal level; wanting to go left when your body choses right, wanting to jump up, when your body sits down, and on an emotional scale, wanting to say something important, until the moment passes you by and you remain silent. The longer you sit in the silence of the conversation Dai is having with herself, the more uncomfortable you become. The confining sound of silence is so noisy in a world full of external thoughts and concepts, that I found myself feeling grateful that this comical and also tender interaction is all I need, and all I want, to pay attention to.
Stephanie Dai in her solo “URETCHKO” – Photo by Patrick Kennelly.
My first time seeing “URETCHKO” was in a corner at G-Son Studios, and I quite missed the visible duress the architecture put the piece in. And while not every space is going to give forth a corner, I found there was a missed opportunity to play with lighting or apparel, or even a depth perception in Dai’s piece with a large scape of black marley and curtains at her fingertips. But Dai’s work is an incredible reflection of how important it is to remain patient when you feel glued to your own ideas of transfixation.
Highways Performance Space always brings a curation of well thought out split bills, of performances ready to emerge on their own, and remains a coveted intimacy build in Los Angeles production spaces.
To learn more about Highways Performance Space, please visit their website.
Written by Grace Courvoisier for LA Dance Chronicle.
Featured image: Stephanie Dai in her solo “URETCHKO” – Photo by Patrick Kennelly.
