Week 2 of Dance at the Odyssey 2020 Featured Dance Aegis and Acts of Matter

The 4^th annual “Dance at the Odyssey” gives much needed opportunity for small but mighty contemporary dance companies to be seen, recognized and reviewed.   Seven companies are performing during this 5-week run.  The Odyssey is to be lauded for seeing the importance of dance in the community and recognizing the potential in each of these developing companies.  The well laid out spacious black box; 99- seat theater is the perfect spot to showcase their work.

Sat. night Jan. 18^th brought “Tethering” with works by Andrea Knowlton for her company Dance Aegis and Rebecca Lemme with her company Acts Of Matter.  Knowlton’s piece “This Land” was the first offering of the night.

Dance Aegis “This Land”

The disturbing sound of buzzing flies, drifting fog, and scraps of Astro-turf strewn about the stage set a desolate mood as one entered the theater. An elegant Shane Raiford began the piece with excellent line and fluid movement. Bryanna Brock joined him posing a la the Statue of Liberty and setting the groundwork for this comment on our impending environmental catastrophe.

Moises Felix appears from under a pile of turf while Hyosun Choi, and Dina Lasso grapple with the environment.  All are wearing long mud colored vests and coughing in the fetid air.  Costumer Jill Peterson’s simple vests add movement and creepiness to the turgid atmosphere.   Knowlton does a good job of drawing the audience into her grim vision of a decaying earth.

Initially the athletic choreography was interesting and very well executed by her excellent dancers.  As she delves further into the piece, however, her ideas become as murky as the atmosphere.  Moving Astro-turf about the stage becomes repetitive and vague with no clear purpose.  A pleasant release from the adequate soundscape score by J.C. Scheid was the resonant voice of Johnny Cash breezing soothingly into the room with an untitled song whose refrain was “For Water”.  The lyrics refer to someone who is dying of thirst during which the dancers sat on the Astro-turf lethargically drinking out of plastic bottles. The irony was clear of course, but the movement was unimpressive and did not shore up the idea, leaving us thirsting for something more.

Again the dancers worked hard with full commitment throughout and nice choreographic moments did happened.  All are well versed in contemporary styles with distinct elements of modern dance underlying the work. Hyosun Choi stood out particularly in her solo work.  As did a duo danced by Shane Raiford and Dina Lasso.

Another Johnny Cash song “How High Is The Water Mama” was not used to full advantage, as the poignant lyrics seemed to be ignored.  Finally for reasons only Knowlton can know she had two dancers play the iconic “This Land Is Your Land” on harmonicas.  They are not musicians and having them play around with this instrument seemed condescending and superfluous.

Clearly choreographer Andrea Knowlton is addressing our diminishing Eco-system, our fight to save the land and the greed and corruption that have brought us to this place.  However, without program notes or a more literal depiction of these ideas within the choreography, the audience is left to assume rather than know what she is trying to say. Knowlton is a competent choreographer who can develop her abilities and make her ideas more cohesive and therefore more relatable. By giving us beginnings and endings, and heightening the emotion “This Land” could become an important work.

Acts of Matter “I/D”

During the intermission, Rebecca Lemme, choreographer and dancer with Acts of Matter, chatted with audience members, invited them to sit closer, warmed up and interacted with her dancers Katie Istvan and Jobel Navarrete-Medina creating a friendly atmosphere in which to begin her piece “I/D.”

“Acts of Matter hinges on the belief that as a society we are defined by what unites us-by what makes us similar, not what makes us different.”

How we are seen by others and how it shapes our identity is the premise on which Rebecca Lemme has established this work.  A Voice Over (VO) track with gorgeous music and underscore by Laurie Anderson introduces us to each dancer as one by one they take the stage.

The VO’s are affecting without being obtrusive most of the time and these backstories are interesting without being particularly dramatic.  However it’s the dancing that really takes hold.  Every move by Lemme and her commanding dancers has a lovely ease of movement that conceals the core strength that each brings to the stage.

The first VO is from Lemme who as she tells it, is seen as mid-western gal from a conservative Christian background but is instead a liberal humanitarian.

Next is the alluring Jobel Naverette-Medina all long lines and precision.  He is an immigrant from the Philippines and feels that he is seen as the other when he has spent most of his life here and yearns to be accepted.

Finally, blond powerhouse Katie Istvan born in Maui, is raised within the Hawaiian culture yet finds she can never be seen as Hawaiian.

Overlapping these stories and taking our full attention is glorious dancing by all three company members.  Tall and lean Naverette-Medina is mesmerizing always extending his line beyond his reach while Istvan is smooth and powerful.  Lemme was the surprise in her absolute effortless movement making it impossible to look away.  Her choreography while abstract still finds a way to tie into the overall theme so that the VO stories and the dance fulfill each other.

Lemme has been working on this piece for two years allowing the dancers the opportunity to develop their solos and for the three dancers to be perfectly in sync when called for.  The timing, the floor work, the drops and recoveries are like clockwork and when coupled with the stirring Anderson score it will hit you with surprising emotion.

Lemme singing a cappella “Who Am I suppose To Be” to her dancer companions was a nice touch indicative of the thoughtful surprises throughout the dance.  Ending here might have been a good idea.

Eventually, in all its glory, the piece goes on for too long with too many VO’s, which become redundant and self-indulgent.  With some thoughtful editing this is a work to be seen and a company to watch.

Lighting for both works was by Phillip W. Powers who lent a much-needed atmosphere to the blank space for “This Land”.

The festival runs for five weeks from January 10^th through Feb. 9 feathering works by JA Collective, Slauson Rec., L.A. Contemporary Dance Company, and Victoria Marks.

Written by Tam Warner for LA Dance Chronicle, January 22, 2020.

For more information about Dance at the Odyssey 2020 and to purchase tickets, click here.

Featured image: Dance Aegis in “This Land” – Choreography by Andrea Knowlton – Photo by Brian Wallenberg