AT
SWARTHMORE
by CHITRA
SUNDARAM, Sruti, August 2002
The state-of-the
arts Lang Performing Arts Center at Swarthmore College boasts a massive
7000 sft. auditorium as well as the College's Departments of Theatre, Literature
and Dance. DUST was honoured with a special performance here in March 2002.
In the words
of CHITRA SUNDARAM, who witnessed DUST and wrote about it in SRUTI (August
2002), "The collaboration was a treat in that beautiful auditorium.
Narendra clearly revelled in the contemporary sections and Anusha astonished
us with her beautiful 17-minute imperceptible walk across the stage. Choreographed
with warmth, humour and poignancy, DUST was a fitting finale."
DANCE
ALLOY GIVES A POWERFUL PRELUDE TO ITS TOUR OF INDIA
by JANE
VRANISH, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Friday, September 14, 2001
In the
light of recent events, Dance Alloy's artistic director, Mark Taylor, took
the Byham Theater stage and hoped the sudience would "see the performance
as a celebration and prayer for all those who've died." His collaborator,
Indian choreograpger Anita Ratnam, then recited the words from Nobel-prize
winning poet Rabindranath Tagore, "The Song of the Spirit".
Ratnam was
probably the primary reason the show went on last night. Originally this
was to be the opening event for the Northeast Performing Arts Council and
the Alloy
decided
to reprise the Taylor/Ratnam work "Dust", based on the writings and story
of explorer Alexandra David-Neel, the first European woman to enter the
forbidden city of Lhasa, Tibet.
The Alloy
imported Ratnam and two of her dancers for the occasion, which also served
as a prelude to an upcoming tour of India in December. "Dust" emerged with
a new dramatic clarity. It was a hybrid work that utilized the Indian concept
of space, with a small square of light defining the dance arena, and the
sharp rhythms of the Bharatanatyam style. Taylor added the modern dance
ideals of shape and form in the knotted landscape of interacting bodies.
The unifying
thread, besides Alice Shields' remarkable electronic score, became David-Neel
herself, portrayed with an inner strength by Anusha Subramanyam. She entered
on the upper diagonal, slowly shedding her European dress, then blending
with three beggar-like figures in an intense exchange before continuing
on her way...
DANCE
ALLOY MELDS MODERN, TRADITIONAL IN INDIAN "DUST"
by Kristine
Sorensen
Pittsburgh
dance stretched to new limits when "Dust" settled on Dance Alloy
at the Byham Theater for its 25th anniversary Saturday.
The collaboration
with the Pittsburgh-based company and Arangham Dance Theater from Madras,
India created a unique blend of American modern and traditional Indian
dancing in the piece "Dust."
Mysticism
swept over the stage as Anusha Subramanyam's slow, deliberate movement
transfixed the audience. Her unwavering focus revealed an internal power
not seen in the American dancers - a difference more of style than
technique.
Dance Alloy's
Mark Taylor worked with Anita Ratnam of India to bring the two cultures
together, using an original composition by Alice Shields. Together, they
created an excellent balance and smooth transitions between traditional
movement and abstractions from that.
The mood
switched back and forth from solemn to playful with the image of dust sprinkled
throughout the piece. Taylor based the piece on a Joan of Arc-like figure
in Buddhist history, but there was no storyline. Instead, it was the strength
of Subramanyam's pace diagonally across the stage that signified the strength
and vulnerability of women.
The dancers'
different cultural styles became apparent when the four danced together
- two American and two Indian. The Indian dancers held their torsos
tall and straight in a regal manner, whereas the Americans tended
to begin all movement of extremities from their torso. The Indian
dancers' quick flickers of the wrists and ankles was more staccato
than those of the Americans. And the Indians seemed to focus internally,
whereas the Americans danced more aware of each other and the space around
them. This is less a criticism than an observation - one that was interesting
to see.
The mix
of American and Indian cultures carried through in the costumes - a blend
of loose-fitting pants and shirts with rope-tied vests in Indian fabric.
The music, however, stuck too close to tradition and often was piercing
to the point of distracting from the dance. The high-pitched sound was
even painful at times.
Still, "Dust"
took a refreshing approach to modern dance with an artistic approach
to an ancient art.
Courtesy:
Pittsburgh Tribune, May 7, 2001
-
Kristine Sorensen is a reporter for WTAE-TV.
She
has a bachelor's degree in dance from the College of William and Mary and
a master's degree in journalism from Northwestern University. Sorensen
has danced in companies for 10 years and continues to study dance in Pittsburgh.
STIRRING
COLLABORATION CELEBRATES ALLOY AT 25
By Jane
Vranish, Post-Gazette Dance and Music Critic
It was a
time to celebrate for the Dance Alloy last night at the Byham Theater.
A 25th anniversary is a major milestone for any dance company, particularly
in today's economic climate. But, true to form, Dance Alloy celebrated
with deep-rooted, inspired performances rather than bright and joyous
incantations. So there was a great deal to give pause for reflection.
Alloy Artistic
Director Mark Taylor paired with Indian choreographer Anita Ratnam in yet
another major cultural collaboration with "DUST", a work based on the writings
and story of Alexandra David-Neel, a female explorer from the 1920s who
was the first European to venture into the forbidden city of Lhasa in Tibet.
It was acombination
that put their respective companies on equal footing. The Alloy used Gwen
Hunter Ritchie and Andre Koslowski and Ratnam offered L Narendra Kumar
and Anusha Subramanyam.
Subramanyam
became a David-Neel character, proceeding slowly on the diagonal in her
spiritual quest. In the meantime, the remaining three dancers literally
brushed the dust from the stage and then became the particles of movement
inside it.
Alice Shield's
exotic electronic score, replete with Tibetan trumpets and an Indian singing
voice, and Barbara Thompson's lighting design, with its overhead spots,
a golden ring of light and a fragmented wash, added greatly to the
overall mood. Much of the movement seemed indelibly printed with Eastern
influences - the low-slung plies, angular poses and rhythmic foot accents.
But the lifts and spatial elements came from an American direction. To
their credit, the seams between the two choreographers were barely noticeable
and the work remained true to one voice - that of David-Neel...
