Brea Curtis Theatre is located in Brea, which is about 40 miles away from Los Angeles. When I was contacted by the artist to attend her one woman show, I felt compelled to make the trip. Her invitation carried the hope and optimism that seems to be characteristic of youth. In this time, despite the arts being under attack and so many fighting to just survive and create, this young woman was undaunted. My heart forced me to make the drive to see this young woman’s performance. I’m glad I listened to my heart!
OT (Orange Teddy Bear) – Photo by Kyreeana Breelin Alexander.
“We Cool” is the childhood diary of Kyreeana Breelin brought to the stage with dance, original music, digital media, and an engaging narration provided by OT (Orange Teddy Bear), Marcus Bearison and Murray Huggy-Bear. The bears are Ms. Breelin’s stuffed animals and confidantes who have been by her side throughout her life’s adventures. The preshow announcement made by the very charming OT sets the tone for the entire evening.
Kyreeana Breelin in “We Cool” – Photo by Gurmukhi Bevli.
Ms. Breelin opens the program with a wonderful tap solo. Her tapping is rhythmical, full of joy and playfulness and clean, clean, clean. She manages to cover the entire stage creating different sounds while tapping on different surfaces. She taps at several times during the program and each time the focus is on speed, clarity and changing rhythms. Sometimes, when music is playing the music overpowers the taps but regardless, her feet are phenomenal. I want her to connect with audience more when she is tapping and allow her joyful feet to play a more prominent role in her facial expressions. When she taps seated on the floor it is reminiscent of noted tap choreographer Danny Daniels who could flawlessly tap seated in a chair. Dynamics do not change a lot nor does the speed of her tapping but her musicality and constantly changing rhythms manage to engage the audience.
Kyreeana Breelin – Photo by Nina Schmidt, UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture.
The contemporary dance interlude is beautiful and Kyreeana is amazing. Her command of her body and ability to control every turn, split, jump, slide, is unbelievable. The sequence is so creative and seamlessly connected as she glides across the floor in socks. One minute she is on the floor the next minute she is up. The movement sequence is filled with phrases that unexpectedly appear and conjure up characteristics of jazz, ballet, lyrical, contemporary, and hip-hop dance. It is as if she is effortlessly sharing her entire dance history. I am hopeful that as she continues performing, she will connect more with the audience during this section.
Kyreeana Breelin in “We Cool” – Photo by Gurmukhi Bevli.
The music and narration that Kyreeana has created is the perfect complement to the dance and projections. When the Bears were featured in the projections and talking, I was distracted by the hands manipulating them however, their dialogue captures the love between the Bears and Kyreeana. The letter to Kyreeana from the Bears is especially charming. “You don’t need a cape to know you’re a hero.” Those words resonated with me. As she sings at the mic, there are times I wish the words were displayed because I could not hear her. The lyrics to the music speak volumes when I can hear them. Sometimes the singing and the piano felt a little disconnected from the story but when she sits down and begins to play piano it is a special moment. The melody she plays is so soothing and peaceful. Is there anything this young woman cannot do?
Kyreeana Breelin performing at the piano – Photo by Nina Schmidt, UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture.
Ms. Breelin holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Cal Arts, a Master of Fine Arts from UCLA and a Master of Arts from Berklee College of Music. She describes herself as a multidisciplinary artist working in dance, songwriting, music, storytelling, and organic puppetry. This was an ambitious undertaking the artist describes as “ steeped in imagination, filled with hope and a sense of playfulness”. In an interview available on YouTube she goes on to say, “It’s cool. It’s serious. It’s fun. You can have it your way.” I look forward to seeing this multi-talented artist as she grows and creates…in her way.
To find out more about Kyreeana Breelin, please visit her Instagram page.
To learn more about the Brea Curtis Theatre, please visit their website.
Written by Leah Bass-Baylis for LA Dance Chronicle.
Feature image: Kyreeana Breelin in “We Cool” – Photo by Gurmukhi Bevli.
