Nicole Ivan - Dancing in the Black Box

         From November 7-9, Elon Dance Company held its annual fall concert, Dancing in the Black Box. It was a show filled with works by faculty, guest artists, and even students. The pieces selected for the show may have ranged drastically in style and meaning, however, they all shared the commonality of being performed passionately, with both great precision and intention.

            One of the pieces that really resonated with me was titled, “Letting Go” choreographed by Jane Wellford. This piece began in a very unexpected manner as each dancer recited a phrase regarding what the idea of “letting go” meant to them. Each phrase was unique and individualized and in my opinion, very powerful. I felt it was an effective way to begin the piece due to the fact that right from the start anyone in the audience could understand what the piece was about and what the basis for it was. The dancers took on specific characters with each processing and dealing with their own crisis as the dance progressed and developed. From this point on the piece continued to impress as the movement portion of the dance began. The movement vocabulary of this piece was very simple initially and appeared to be very reflective. In other words, the movement of this piece was more thoughtful as opposed to physical. It consisted of more than just intense, physical movement sequences and this was a nice change for once. Overall this piece kept a consistent theme of using basic elements to allow the message to really shine through and it was both well-choreographed and well performed..

Another one of the pieces entitled “Broken Record,” choreographed by Katie Baker drew me in as well. Right from the start, this piece dove into non-stop, intricate, and innovative choreography. The piece began with movement that had strong focus and became more erratic as the piece continued on. There was never a calm portion of this dance however, as the end was significantly crazier than the beginning with the dancer becoming significantly more obsessive and frustrated as the piece continued on. Throughout the piece, the dancer was attempting to draw the audience in to the way she felt which was crazed, frustrated, and obsessive over everything. This piece was not one in which the audience merely observed nice lines, shapes, or aesthetically pleasing sequences of choreography, but one that engaged the mind and made you wonder about what could be going on in the dancer’s mind as she completed the movement and what the choreographer’s exact intent with the piece was.

            Throughout this entire concert, the artistry and commitment of the performers was very evident. Every performer was very dedicated to their individual dances and this paid off as none of the pieces disappointed. At some point throughout the course of the show, someone had said that watching shows in the Black Box Theater was their favorite because the close proximity to the dancers makes them feel as if they are a part of the action. I feel the same way as I was drawn in and enraptured by every piece and every performance. Observing and analyzing the various different elements of the pieces, such as lighting and costumes, and their roles in the overall perception of the piece, as well as determining their individual themes kept me intellectually engaged for the entirety of the show.