World Music/CRASHarts - Latest Comments

Re: What did you think of “the devil you know…”

French Clements — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 10:40:58 -0000

Hi all,
My review of this show is here: http://tinyurl.com/d5r5qe.

Thanks,
French Clements

Re: What did you think of “the devil you know…”

Evan — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 12:49:10 -0000

I saw "the devil you know" at Dance Theater Workshop in NYC. It was my first time seeing Scofield and Shuey's work, and I loved the emotional rawness and distorted balletic foundation. Looking forward to watching them develop as artists and collaborators. I wrote a full review here: http://dancingperfectlyfree...

Re: The Buzz on Flamenco!

AlwaysBeDancing — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 08:59:29 -0000

There is a flourishing youth flamenco program happening right here in Boston. Does you child want to learn to flamenco? Please contact Eve Agush at AdamAnt_Eve@hotmail.com for more information.

Re: What did you think of Tango Historias Breves?

Sun, 01 Feb 2009 23:06:20 -0000

This performance made me think of the bare-chested Irish step dancing buffoon on PBS - take a traditional dance form and bastardize and cheapen it. Trash. I would love to see more modern dance in Boston, but not this kind of schmaltz. There must be a better answer to "Dirty Dancing, the Musical."

Re: What did you think of Tango Historias Breves?

J Pound — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 20:48:44 -0000

We just attended the Sunday, Feb. 1, performance of Historias Brevas. The entire performance, including the informative pre-show talk, was very good, but I am moved to post this comment by the fact that one piece, Historia de Tres, was exceptional: one of the best pieces of choreography I've seen in years, uniting emotion, intellectual meaning and the beauty of movement with a success that leaves me still moved by the memory of it. Thanks to all involved for creating it and bringing it to Boston!

Re: What did you think of Tango Historias Breves?

ballerina — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 15:28:22 -0000

Hi, My name is Kira Seamon and I am a professional ballerina who was excited to attend Tango, Historias Breves on Friday night! I have a number of comments/impressions that fall under 3 categories in chronological order:

1) PRE-CONCERT TALK: I felt that this informative and lively talk was a boon to the concert experience. It really set up the performance with helping put the dances in context and prepared us for what we would be seeing. Adding to the thread in the pre-concert talk on Friday, we were discussing where tango music and dance was found in popular movies. I remembered MOULIN ROUGE right before I dropped off to sleep, causing me to bolt upright in bed with excitement! Who can forget all of that fierce dancing!?

2) PERFORMANCE: Ms. Guillermina Quiroga has a FANTASTIC Movement Quality with perfectly extended legs and beautiful changing arm shapes. GOEGEOUS!!! My impression of her as I reflect on the concert is one of A Beautiful Perpetual Motion of swirling lifts, spins, and emotionally charged dance steps..As a fellow producer, I admire her placement of the Adam and Eve Duet as an opener, danced behind the scrim , and perfectly describing in dance the EMBRACE , the importance of which was so well noted in both her interview with ReporTango magazine and in Ms. Cash's program notes..I also admire her courage in using the STARKNESS of the 3 crucified women as the next piece in the lineup, as it's RIVETING Quality helps the audience to transition from everyday hassels to the intriguing world of tango and dance.

3) ARIAS AND ARABESQUES : As I mentioned, I am a ballerina who is also producing my newest dance concert series, ARIAS AND ARABESQUES in Cambridge in March. I attended Tango, Historias Breves, to be inspired for my performances of my CARMEN SUITE.
When one takes on a popular figure like Carmen, one must answer the question: What do you have to offer, what is fresh or new about your interpretation?
The ANSWER is: We all step on the shoulders of giants and then hopefully take all our experiences and influences and filter them to make a fresh version of a popular figure. Although CARMEN was written to evoke Spanish music with a Spanish flair, I have chosen to interpret part of the CARMEN SUITE with a Tango-Ballet style as described in the program notes. Although my tango-ballet is heavier on ballet than HISTORIAS BREVES, that could be viewed as a positive , as it offers the public a diverse range of styles. For my CARMEN, I have used my responses to every Carmen Incarnation I've seen (or INCARMENATION, if you prefer :) , to craft a unique perspective. Tango afficionados will recognize many tango dips, swirls, spins and poses as well as my Extreme Partnering and pirouettes.
ARIAS AND ARABESQUES At the JULIE INCE THOMPSON THEATRE 536 Mass Ave (also known as the DanceComplex) Cambridge MA (Red Line to Central Square, take the Pearl Street exit)...March 6th Fri and March 7th Sat @ 8pm ...$20/15 for reservations: ariasdancetix@gmail.com or 617-794-1020
There is still fierce dancing left this Season!
Come see how Tango, Hkistorias Breves inspires me in my fiery CARMEN SUITE!
Sincerely,
Kira Seamon

Re: Mix Tapes for Dance

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 11:35:50 -0000

I loved the mix of music, and I think it was very impactful to mix different musical styles. It made me think about the similarities, and I loved to see the moves his musical choices inspired. It made me think about how he hears different types of music.

Re: Mix Tapes for Dance

Bette Kisner — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 01:10:52 -0000

I loved, loved, loved Larry Keigwin's ecclectic taste in music as it seemed to underscore ( pun intended ) the wonderful creativity of his choreography. His choice of music also seems to fit with the times as exemplified by our new Administration which is about inclusion, blending of old and new, hip and lyrical (Aretha,Itzak Perlman, & Yo Yo Ma), intelligence,and an appreciation for humor. This was a truly invigorating experience for me!

Re: Whacha laughing at?

david parker — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 11:20:45 -0000

Thanks Mary,

I too am very serious about being funny. I find the humor bubbles up naturally through the juxtaposition of dance styles and the clarity of rhythm. It's what I think of as formalist comedy. Nut/Cracked in six seasons of touring both here and abroad gets pretty much the same laughs in the same places every show. I find that says something about the universality of kinetic humor.
David

Re: Whacha laughing at?

Mary — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 13:20:47 -0000

Definitely David Parker and The Bang Group's "Nut/Cracked" Nutcracker parody. I highly recommend that everyone see it next time it comes around!

Re: What did you think of Philadanco?

Kristina Hernandez — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 12:06:59 -0000

Personally i felt that the show was very inspiring. Watching the show actually made me feel inspired to become a damcer and it helped me realize what style of dance i enjoy watching as well as doing. Watching the company dancers perfom was amazing. You could really tell that they enjoy to dance and they want to take the audience on a journey through their movement.
I remember saying after watching the show that i really love to dance. I enjoy everything about it. Along side with watching them we got to meet them. And they were amazing people along with being amazing dancers. Seeing them and also meeting them was an expiernence that i will never forget.

Re: What did you think of Philadanco?

JARED — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 13:30:45 -0000

I felt that the preformace was phenominal....All of the dances were diffrent but had a way of tieing into each other....The lighting complimented the preformance very well.....I was Inspired by some of there music! I just felt it was a very good preformance

Re: What did you think of Philadanco?

L Martinez — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 08:20:49 -0000

Omg i loved the show i was not bored once during your performance. it kept me on my toes and i wanted to know what was going to happen next. i love the variety that you had. there was nothing that was the same. the energy was amazing throughout the entire show. overall i give you guys two thumbs up because it showed me how much it takes to be a dancer whether it is a ballerina or a modern dancer. im glad i went tot go see you guys perform i cannot wait for another performance to come.
thank you so much you guys are very inspiring

Re: What did you think of Philadanco?

J Cummins — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 11:50:43 -0000

When I went to see the show I was amazed at the variety of style of dance that was performed. Watching them perform I realized that to be a dancer you have to be able to be versatile. I learned that the more styles of dance you learn the greater your chances are in getting into a piece you want. Also, the body sizes of the Philadanco dancers changed my mindset of what a dancer should look like and seeing that helped me to be more comfortable with myself. The Philadanco companies’ energy and expression really made their performance outstanding and for me being in the audience I was able to get into the same mood that the piece was in. What I like most about the Philadanco Company is their diversity which I think is awesome because it exemplifies acceptance and equality within the dance world. I can’t wait to see them perform again!

Re: What are the special benefits of urban dance schools?

Tiffany Beaumont — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 17:12:23 -0000

The special benefits of a urban dance school is your surrounded by people who wants to fulfill their dreams and future as a dancer just like you and to be in a school where your taught by choreographers who's been on center stage. I see these as special benefits because I know what it's like to not have certain opportunities and to be in dance school with so many benefits is the best opportunity i've ever had in my life. I feel that if every dancer had opportunities like being in an urban dance school, it would better the community and make them feel more confident that they can fulfill their dreams and future.

Re: What did you think of Philadanco?

sharon — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:52:13 -0000

Well, first I want to say that they did a wonderful and marvelous job. I was very excited to see them perform after teaching Baa's master class. I was most excited to see that the majority of the dancers were people of color. It brings more life to see that we are emerging slowly into the dance world. The costumes went perfect with the dances. My only question to the dancers in the company is what keeps you motivated everytime you perform a piece? I would like to know that from a a females perspective just because Im a female myself and I want to join the dance world myself. So overall, I loved the performance and just keep it up!

thanks!

Re: What did you think of Philadanco?

Celine — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 10:23:26 -0000

This was the first time i have seen philidanco perform and i was glad that it was such an amazing experiance for me. I made such a personal connection wiht Renee Harris's Piece "Philidelphia Experiment". It was such an emotional and spiritual piece to me. Not only did i love how his hip hop incorperated african movement (Which i absolutley love), but it just was such a powerful example of evolution throughout the choroegraphy. Enemy was also a very powerful piece. I met christopher huggins while attending the Earl mosley Institue of the Arts and i just loved him and his work. I admire how Philidanco offers everything in their reparatory and how there is such a good amount of diverse members. I would also like to say thank you for the master class they provided at the Boston Arts Academy. I thought it was absolutley amazing and i will never forget the feeling of getting an opportunity to do it alone. I felt so real and natural and i could not have been any happier. I hope to have to get to see you all again. I cant thank you all enough. =)

Re: What did you think of Philadanco?

s williams baa — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 09:45:48 -0000

i loved the show it was one of the best that i had ever been to and i really loved the whole thing it was beautiful and all the guy were fantastic and they had such amazing energy." i loved the fact that they moved so big and kept the spaceing and so that real inspiered me to work on my movement as a dancer. so with the peice dawn till dusk it was the best i loved the music and it was so beautiful and i loved the lighting because it made the costumes stand out and enmey was so cool i love the whole theme with they look like and sould like u and live like u but they are not you and i love the whole peice and it was just awsome i had the best time ever .

Re: What are the special benefits of urban dance schools?

Oumaru Fofana — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 22:42:27 -0000

the special benefits of an urban dance school is the enviroment and the community. urban communities have many advatages, students get to learn about themselves, their peers and the enviorment that orbits around them. from a young artist living in the urban city/community i understand what it takes to be a dacner, i understand all teh struggles, i understand what it takes to make it in the real world of dance,a dn understand whats to come for me and my dance world. i truly believe that a good community is what makes our lives a better thing, and a urban dance schools have many, many different benefits to it.

Re: What did you think of Philadanco?

Oumaru Fofana — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 22:24:49 -0000

i enjoyed myself while watching this amazing company, i personally loved "ENEMY..." that peice expressed soo many feeling, and the way i picture it as in theres always someone out there thats after you, we may not know who it is or what it is, but its there. and i feel that "ENEMY..."was telling a story. Telling how we as humans and artists have to watch our back at all times. another peice that i fell in love with is "Piladelphia Experiment". today in our society not many people know whats goin gon or what have happened in the pass and this whole story line tells something, it tells a history that may not be thought in the school systems but through our minds, bodys, and the music. it allows the audience to feel the energy from our home land of Africa to the United States where theres many diffferent type of dances. and i love this amazing energatic company. i look forward into seeing them again.

Re: Welcome to the Dancing in the Present Tense blog!

Karl Cronin — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 20:24:20 -0000

Looking forward to taking part in this conversation!

Re: What did you think of Philadanco?

Bethany — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 15:29:07 -0000

I also enjoyed the concert.. I liked the fact that each piece was so incredibly different. It was nice to know you could expect something different every time the lights went out. I really loved the "Philadelphia Experiment" and I disagree that the slides were old.. I actually really enjoyed the authenticity of the slides. Mixing slides and dance can be very dangerous as some people end up watching the slides instead of the dance, but they pulled it off wonderfully. I felt like the slides added everything to the dance instead of the dance adding to the slides.

I also enjoyed the costumes of the first piece. I thought it added a beautiful aspect to the choreography. I also absolutely love the early beginning of the dawn piece. It was brilliantly created as someone awakening from a nights sleep. The only piece I was not all that happy about was the last one. It had nice imagery with some of the movement between the partnerships and the woman being held up, but overall I thought it was reaching. It was confusing and told no story to me. I couldnt get anything out of it accept that they were supposed to be soldiers?? ( I thought the costumes were very tacky also ) Anyhow.. I wasnt grasping anything about this piece from the choreographer and I had a hard time putting my own interpretation to it.

Re: What did you think of Philadanco?

Tess — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 19:05:59 -0000

I loved the performance! The variety of music and dance were terrific. The dancers were amazing. The only thing that I didn't like was the visual presentation during the "Philadelphia Experiment" It felt "old" and was not particularly effective in enhancing the piece. I enjoyed the pre-performance talk which helped to give a historical perspective on the company.