By JESSICA NEU

There was perhaps no better way to celebrate International Dance Day than with the opening of Point Park University’s Conservatory of Performing Arts’ annual Spring Dance Concert. The crowd-pleasing tradition showcases the conservatory’s talented and irreverent performers. This year’s performance features five show-stopping numbers that highlight the conservatory’s dancers and repertoire. 

The show begins with Valse-Fantaisie. This ballet piece, which artfully combines traditional and modern ballet, is a masterclass in technique and the timeless beauty of the art form. Choreographed by George Balanchine, Valse-Fantaisie dates back to 1931, with its current version premiering at the New York City Ballet in 1967. Set to the music of “Valse-Fantaisie” for Piano (1839) and re-orchestrated in 1856, the piece features a principal couple and a corps de ballet of four women. This piece is punctuated with elegant lines, airy leaps, graceful pirouettes, whimsical sautés, perfect Grand Jetés, and constant movement on Releve, proving that despite dance being an ever-evolving art form, technique never goes out of style. 

If technique is timeless, Temporal Shift: Chrome Rituals argues that timing is equally necessary in dance. The piece, choreographed by Jesse Factor in collaboration with the cast, is described as “suspensions, delays, repetitions, ruptures, perpetual shifts, and incessant returns.” Temporal Shift: Chrome Rituals combines elements of lyrical, contemporary, and ballet to create a number rich in synchronicity and precision. Twenty-one dancers gracefully contort to musical selections by Arca. The almost metronome-like music challenges dancers to execute movement on both the beat and in the absence of sound, underscoring the need to perfect their musicality. Two male-female duets are interspersed throughout the piece, proving to be the most captivating portions of Temporal Shift: Chrome Rituals. Both duet partners danced as one to the point that you were almost transported into the rehearsal space with them, where I am certain they tirelessly looked at each other and said, “Let’s do this one part again. It needs to be perfect.” And it was. 

After the tight staccato of Temporal Shift: Chrome Rituals came choreographer Jessi Stegall’s Not Ours, Not Now. Dancers began with stoic, controlled movements. A long bench sat diagonally stage left and symbolized “a waiting room at the edge of knowing.” Contortion, contemporary, and lyrical dance styles allowed the dancers space to writhe, emote, express, and move with intent and grandeur. Stegall edited and arranged four classical music selections to bring Not Ours, Not Now to life, as dancers fought for their lives in the face of the unknown. Deep inhales and exhales became instruments, marking the dancers’ fight to move, and to live. Male solo vignettes and male-female partner work added depth to the piece, and various lifts showcased the dancers’ core strength and trust in each other. The sixteen-member ensemble, clad in civilian clothes, looked like the average person grappling with fear of the unknown. Despite their ordinary appearance, their technique and talent were nothing short of extraordinary. 

After a brief intermission, the Spring Dance Concert resumed with Ground Theory II. The stage was set with DJ Stealth-1 positioned with turntables upstage right and Yan Pang seated at a grand piano upstage left. Pang began by pounding the strings inside the piano, adding a sense of flair and drama that would not have been achieved by playing a major chord on the piano keys. DJ Stealth-1 and Pang simultaneously played and spun selections from Bob James, Hieroglyphics, The Blackbyrds, Ghostface Killa, and Outkast feat. Raekwan, as twelve dancers crawled their way from the wings to center stage on their bellies and backs. Once the dancers were aligned center stage, the party began. With their classic hip-hop tracksuits and bucket hats, the dancers showcased their best downrock, power moves, and freezes as they breezed through a routine filled with classic breakdancing, culminating in a Hip-Hop/piano battle. The result was an energetic, visually dazzling spectacle that drew plenty of cheers from the audience. 

The audience was hyped for Ground Theory II, but the energy in the theater only magnified for the final number, The Persona. Choreographed by Beverly Bautista Spaulding, this show-stopping, high-energy number delivered every bit of its promised description to “navigate the tension between confidence and vulnerability, revealing the layers beneath what we choose to present.” Those layers include classic jazz choreography meshed with contemporary and big band moves that brought the raucous audience to their feet. Slicked back ponytails, black sequined jackets, and heels set the tone for this finale. Twenty-eight dancers interwove their best pirouettes, kick combos, pivots, and battement to transport us all back to jazz class. The piece began with music from Jung Kook and Amerie before delving into Paula Abdul’s slinky 1989 hit “Cold Hearted Snake.” The choreography paid homage to Abdul’s heyday as a star-studded performer and also acclaimed Laker Girl. An acapella rendition of Mariah Carey’s “Emotions” paved the way for an explosive ending featuring Raye’s current smash “WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!” The energy in the room was electrified by the first notes of the popular song, as the dancers were poised to show their true selves through the art of movement. For those reading this review, I’m not sure where your husband is, but I am sure that you will not be disappointed by Point Park University’s Conservatory of Performing Arts’ Spring Dance Concert.  

TICKETS AND DETAILS

Point Park University’s Conservatory of Performing Arts’ annual Spring Dance Concert runs now through May 3rd at the GRW Theatre, 313 Boulevard of the Allies. For tickets visit: https://playhouse.pointpark.edu/shows-events/conservatory-dance/Spring-Dance-Concert

Jessica holds a PhD in Rhetoric and is part of the Communication Department at Carlow University.

Categories: Arts and Ideas, Reviews

Tags: Point Park University’s Conservatory of Performing Arts, Spring Dance Concert