Dancing in the Black Box

From the opening with an intriguing contemporary duet that made statements about the effects of abusive relationships, to a fiery, fast-paced modern solo with a level of preciseness that was breath-taking, to an ensemble finale that blended elements of classical and contemporary ballet, Dancing in the Black Box showcased the best of Elon University’s dance department.  Above and beyond any dance performance I have seen at Elon University, Dancing in the Black Box was a captivating evening of work by faculty, students, and guest artists that included a broad assortment of dance styles, music, and presentational elements.  The show was thought provoking, technically impressive, stylistically diverse, and extremely enjoyable to attend with, or without a dance background.

Although the majority of the show was based in a very contemporary style of dance, each piece was unique in its form and presentation.  The opening piece, “Tink” was made up of very abstract movement with many drastic rhythmic changes requiring the dancers to be closely connected through the sound of their breaths.  The two females in the piece were very stoic in their expressions and their entire beings evoked a sense of overbearing pain and sorrow, adding to the idea of the effects of abusive relationships.  In this way, their interaction throughout the piece was almost disturbing in a sense, with very ominous gestures and development of intensifying movement.  In comparison, pieces like “Letting Go” and “A Transitional Season” had a more light-hearted contemporary feel.  They seemed to tell a story in a more concrete structure.  Movements in “Letting Go” were fluid and almost lyrical, while the choreography in “A Transitional Season” was very staccato and playful.  “Letting Go” actually used language, which was a very unique element to the piece, seeing as dance is normally a language that remains unspoken.  It was captivating to see the blending of spoken dialogue, which evoked great levels of emotion and understanding, with the intention behind the more lyrical movement, which seemed almost spontaneous and free at times.  In student Katie Baker’s piece, Fiona Koch brought the show to a climax with the fast-paced intensity of her contemporary solo.  The piece was very grounded, yet Fiona had to be on top of herself in order to quickly move from one almost robotic movement to another.  Due to the focus and rhythmic nature of this piece, the music and lighting were two very pertinent aspects to the material and the message of a broken record. 

Overall there was a great fluidity throughout this show.  The movement was connected and emotional with excellent musicality.  Technique was at a very high level, especially as seen in the last piece “Edge”, choreographed by ballet instructor, Jenn Guy Metcalf.  Although extremely fast paced, this was another example of that sense of contemporary freedom and fluidity reigned in by a classical structure that seemed to be a theme throughout the show.  Except for one section of the first piece that was out of sink because one of the dancers lost her balance, the preciseness and level of technical excellence of this show was breathtaking.  The dancers were connected and moving together as a unit, especially in the piece “The Magical Cusp”.  Breaths were taken together and even the musicality of the dancers was matched down to the details.  With regards to the more emotional or thematic elements of the show, I felt very strongly about the effectiveness of the dances in sending a message.  Because the movement was so abstract in some pieces, I did have trouble determining the specificities of the overall message of each piece; however, the mood of each piece was very clear, as mentioned above.  Themes included abusive relationships, leaving home, love, community, and geometric shapes. 

Overall I was impressed with this performance.  High levels of technique, musicality, commitment, and freedom of movement were represented throughout this show.  The messages were captivating, and even non-dancers found the movement patterns intriguing and impressive, as well as the emotional qualities inviting.  After seeing many other Elon dance productions, this show is in my opinion, the most well-rounded, highly technical, and emotionally provoking performance that Elon University’s dance department has presented.  It was impressive across the board, and it is a show worth the ticket price, undoubtedly.