Great thanks to Festival Curator, Barbara Müller-Wittmann and producer Beth Hogan for creating this Summer Festival of Dance showcasing so many of our local dance companies and choreographers and giving them an outlet to show their work. This festival continues through June 28, 2026 at the Odyssey Theatre.
“Reminiscence” with choreography by Seda Aybay and featuring dancers: Ariel Scott, Brian Domino, Evan Lavo, Rory Dawson, and Sydney Reed, was an excursion into Family dynamics and how we are affected by those relationships we grew up with. What was also demonstrated was how we have no filters or abilities to guard ourselves against emotional turmoil at such a young age.
Dance at the Odyssey – Cast of “Reminiscence” choreography by Seda Aybay – Photo by Carl Owens.
The stage was set as a living room with a long table center stage with a man and woman, the father and mother, sitting at it reading. There were photos of the family strung up across the backdrop and a coat rack upstage where people enter and exit the apartment. Off to stage right was a solitary female, the daughter. In the audience and moving about separately and slightly agitated were the two brothers holding suitcases and waiting to make it home for a visit.
Dance at the Odyssey – Ariel Scott (being lifted) and Brian Domino in “Reminiscence” choreography by Seda Aybay – Photo by Carl Owens.
We see some parental concern over the daughter and some slight discipline. The daughter is of course exasperated by her parents and only too happy when her brothers show up for the Family visit. The mother dotes while the father sticks his hand out to be shaken like a man, but neither son takes it. One would rather hug him while the other does not want to greet him at all. What follows is an essay in miscommunication and how well-meaning can get confused with overbearing.
Dance at the Odyssey – Sydney Reed, Evan Lavo, Rory Dawson, Ariel Scott, and Brian Domino in “Reminiscence” choreography by Seda Aybay – Photo by Carl Owens.
The movement and choreography was illustrative of the difference in age and experience between the family members. Also present was the expectations and disappointments of the parents with each other. In this piece Aybay takes a close look at how families operate and how members sometimes assume roles that are not their true character. There is a moment where a family portrait is taken and it captures the distance between each member of the family. After the visit and the angst produced there is another photo taken and in this one they are more resigned with each other. There is a great deal of beautiful partnering work between all of the dancers and in particular the man playing the father role. Unfortunately, the roles were not ascribed to specific dancers in the program, so I do not know who played what part. This is a shame as each performer had something special to bring to their role. I suggest a breakdown of roles when they are integral to the piece such as in this work: Father, Mother, Daughter, Son1, Son2. In the end they accept each other for who they are but not without the price paid in angst while getting there.
Dance at the Odyssey – Cast of “Anima” choreography by Seda Aybay – Photo by Carl Owens.
In “Anima”, choreographed by Seda Aybay, we see five people interacting and showing their perceived selves to those around them. This is made obvious by a very restricted movement vocabulary that is brittle and stiff, as in stop-action animation. The faces are extreme examples of happiness or mirth with ecstatic smiles glued on. They hoot and holler with glee and laugh to show others how happy and well-adjusted they are in life. This is the Anima Opresae section. During the next Anima Mutans section we see them change as they become more real and let their inner doubts and honesty show to others. It is during this phase that the costumes change and the dancers drop their black costumes for bright ones made from primary colors which also happen to be indicative of the LGBTQ+A flag. Aybay created the costumes. This is a savvy nod to the various true characters that make up any society anywhere on Earth.
Dance at the Odyssey – Cast of “Anima” choreography by Seda Aybay – Photo by Carl Owens.
The choreography has changed from brittle and performative to fluid, relaxed, easy and full of the joy of movement. The faces have changed as well to ones of genuine happy expressions at the enervation of using the body to move and jump and be with others. In the last section of Anima Motus we feel the positive energy coming from the stage where the dancers become their true selves regaling us with the wonder of moving their bodies to wonderful music by composer Jun Miyakee, and the joy of sharing that with an audience, with other humans! This was an excellent foray into what makes us human and hopefully has a life far beyond this single festival.
Dance at the Odyssey – Cast of “Anima” choreography by Seda Aybay – Photo by Carl Owens.
Dance at the Odyssey continues through July 5, 2026: June 21, 2026, 8pm – Lincoln Seymour and Dancers’ Rat-Race and Emma Shane’s Return to Instructions; June 26, 2026, 8pm – Lincoln Seymour and Dancers’ Rat-Race and LINEAGE MVMT’s Solistice; June 27, 2026, 8pm & June 28, 2pm – Donofrio Dance Collective’s BETTY and Ricky Medina’s Mighty Praise; July 2, 2026, 8pm – Maggie Ogle’s Thresholds; July 3, 2026, 8pm – Cora Laszlo’s Gambiarra Imaginary Solutions for Love; and July 5, 2026, 2pm-
Tanz Tanz Revolution’s (TTR) Sonder and Katie Tuchi’s DOUBTING THOMAS.
For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit the Odyssey Ensemble Theatre’s website.
Written by Brian Fretté for LA Dance Chronicle.
Featured image: Dance at the Odyssey – Cast of “Reminiscence” choreography by Seda Aybay – Photo by Carl Owens.
