This year marked the eleventh year for the Los Angeles Dance Festive curated and produced by Deborah Brockus and supported, in part, by a grant from the City of LA Department of Cultural Affairs. The effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on dance artists seemed to be appearing in their work as the program presented on Friday, April 28, 2023 at Brockus Project Studios was primarily insightful and somber. With the exception of two dances, the subjects covered included addiction, sexual trauma, women’s rights, and internal conflicts. This was not the most memorable year for the festival, but there were a few highlights.
LA Dance Festival 2023 – Julienne Mackey (in air), Denali Huff, and Jack Ironstone in Deborah Brockus’ “Song of Myself – American Voices” – Photo by Denise Leitner
The program opened with Song of Myself – American Voices choreographed by Deborah Brockus, artistic director of BrockusRED. Set to poetry by Emily Dickenson, Langston Hughes, Walt Whitman, Theodor Roethke, and Robert Frost, Song of Myself was a series of short solos reflecting the different voices represented within the poems. To create this work, Brockus reached deep into her American modern dance background to utilize movements seen throughout the U.S. during the 1950s, ‘60s, and ‘70s. Here, that style was extremely appropriate as this work required deep examination of several personae, tribulations, and aspirations. It moved from introspective Graham-like contractions and spiral turns to the characteristic style of release and recovery made famous by José Limón. Brockus’ wise choreographic structure gave clarity to each individual character without feeling like a bunch of solos strung together. She wove their stories together like a good writer.
Costumed in various genres of clothing, the strong dancers who powerfully gave Brockus what she envisioned were Mara Hancock, Denali Huff, Jack Ironstone, and Julienne Mackey. The music was by Andre Previn.
LA Dance Festival 2023 – Julia Gonzalez (center) with Jordyn Maxfield and Lexi Maxfield in Hannah Millar’s “Beginning is end the End” – Photo by Denise Leitner
It is said that in order to truly exist in the moment one much stop fearing the past or living in the wreckage of one’s future. Hannah Millar, artistic director of Imprints, has visualized that wisdom her solo/trio Beginning is in the End set to the music by Michael Wall and Olafur Arnalds. The incredible Julia Gonzalez is confronted by her past and her future by Jordyn Maxfield and Lexi Maxfield dress from head to toe in black; their faces never revealed. Until the end Gonzalez is manipulated, directed and literally lifted, tumbled and moved around the space while remaining completely passive. She appears to be the victim of her past and unable to move forward into the present.
The trust displayed between these three women during the performance of Millar’s work was extraordinary. Gonzalez never appeared to take control or resist until the final pose, and even then Millar left us wondering if this person would be ok.
James MahKween is a force of nature and a nurturer of numerous young and inspiring dance artists. His workshops, I am positive, have saved lives. On this program, MahKween presented two works, Talayne’s Tale and Addicted that investigated equally compelling subjects, the effects of sexual trauma and substance abuse. The dancers MahKween used in these two work are not yet strong dance technicians, but they are wonderful performers who show great potential.
LA Dance Festival 2023 – Ajah Muhammad in James MahKween’s “Talayne’s Tale” – Photo by Denise Leitner
Talayne’s Tale gave the viewer an insight into the aftereffects on a young woman who was coerced into having sex with a man at a party. She explained how it was not the usual violence one hears about, but no less traumatic. Her attacker was quiet and whispered to her that he was going to do this so she might as well relax. The mental image those words evoked were truly creepy and disgusting, and combined with the text, a conversation with Talayne, and performances by Ajah Muhammad, Malcolm Dunbar, and Jennifer Bulger, the work left me feeling both empathy and anger.
Thomas Davis may not yet be a strong dance technician, but his acting talents helped him give a convincing and powerful performance in MahKween’s Addicted. He showed the viewer the high experience from the use of cocaine, the crash that followed and the personal agonies related to reasons behind why a person might fall into the life of an addict.
LA Dance Festival 2023 – Charlotte Katherine in her solo “I Will” – Photo by Denise Leitner
It is always a joy to watch choreographer and dancer Charlotte Katherine perform and on this night she did not disappoint. Her new work titled I WILL was an in-your-face drama, quirky, upsetting and marvelous. She provided a portrait of a determined yet somewhat disturbed woman, disheveled, wild hair, who looked at the world with a distraught and piercing stare. I wanted to go up onto the stage and comfort this woman. The solo was brief but one that will stay with me.
LA Dance Festival 2023 – Miyeko Harris, Alondra Perez, Jeremiah Peoples, and Norianna Galindo-Ramirez in Maura Townsend’s “We Matter” – Photo by Denise Leitner
After a brief pause, the works on the program did not always rise to the occasion of professional quality. Maura Townsend’s We Matter was a good work with a timely and needed message, and powerful images by Visual Artist Stacey Jordan projected on the back wall and music by Jinku, but the full intent of the piece was difficult to see because it appeared under rehearsed. I was distracted by the dancers not in unison when they were needed to be, the uneven talent and other performance problems.
We Matter primarily investigated the rights, or the lack of rights, for women and people of color. I genuinely felt that Townsend is headed in the right direction but the work needs more rehearsal time to clean up the inconsistencies. The cast who gave their best included: Miyeko Harris, Alondra Perez, Jeremiah Peoples, and Norianna Galindo-Ramirez.
LA Dance Festival 2023 – Mallory Fabian in her solo “Unknown” – Photo by Denise Leitner
I am usually blown away by the work of Mallory Fabian, and her performance was as great as always. The work titled “Unknow” a solo excerpt, however, left me wanting. This may have been part of a work-in-progress that I saw at a studio showing, and if so, the entire work needs to be seen to make sense. Out of context, this version did not make artistic sense. I know Fabian’s work and look forward to the finished product.
LA Dance Festival 2023 – Julienne Mackey, Mara Hancock, Hannah Joo, Denali Huff, and Jack Ironstone in Deborah Brockus’ “The Brightness of Light” – Photo by Denise Leitner
Brockus’ second piece on the program was titled The Brightness of Light, but I felt left in the dark. The movement was lovely and the dancers gave their best, but all of it was overpowered by Rachmaninov’s music. At times I thought Brockus had made a pure movement piece, but the dramatics emanating from the music and some of the group poses demanded a clearer theme. Here too, unison phrases were not together and lifts appeared unsteady. I also believe that The Brightness of Light needs more distance between the performance and the audience in order for the fullness of the movement phrases and structure to be realized.
The cast of The Brightness of Light was BrockusRed company members Julienne Mackey, Mara Hancock, Hannah Joo, Denali Huff, and Jack Ironstone. The projection of blue sky and floating clouds was created by Mrsiraphol on Freepik.
LA Dance Festival 2023 – Celeste Lanuza in her “¡Celebracion!” – Photo by Denise Leitner
The evening closed with the high-spirited, folklorico style dance ¡Celebracion!, choreographed by Celeste Lanuza and energetically performed by Celeste Lanuza Dance Theater dancers Nola Gibson, Jada Hooks, Courtney Parisi, Leica Marie, and Celeste Lanuza. Dressed in traditional dresses and shawls, these five fast moving and feisty dancers gave the audience a jolting farewell following an evening of what was mostly deeply introspective works.
Ms. Lanuza’s stage presence is stunning and she projected great joy and playfulness throughout this work. Her dancers, although gifted, did not have that same spark emitting from their faces except while performing brief solos.
LA Dance Festival 2023 – Nola Gibson, Jada Hooks, Courtney Parisi, Leica Marie, and Celeste Lanuza in Lanuza’s “¡Celebracion!” – Photo by Denise Leitner
What the Los Angeles Dance Festival and the companies that take part in it need is a theater that provides a sizable stage with a house that seats between 500 and 800 people. A theater that will not break the bank of the producers and allow the companies to be paid for their work. It is time that Los Angeles steps up to provide a venue for the many dance companies who call this city home.
For more information about the Los Angeles Dance Festival, please visit their website.
Written by Jeff Slayton for LA Dance Chronicle.
Featured image: LA Dance Festival 2023 – Thomas Davis in James MahKween’s Addicted – Photo by Denise Lietner
