DanceWorks Field Notes

Highlights from my Field Notes for DanceWorks:

• Dancers came from multiple styles of dance: classical ballet, modern, lyrical, jazz, Broadway, tap, hip hop, crump. However, they call came together for a collaborative finale number.
• Each dance incorporated the theme of the show: Cirque De Cuse.
• Costumes were unique to the stories each dance told. Dancers told a story with each dance. Their faces were expressive and held secrets to the audience.
• Dancers learned the finale dance during rehearsals. DanceWorks dancers were able to pick up the steps quickly as the producer and two directors taught the steps with ease. They practiced without music, then ran the finale number several times until dancers were comfortable with the steps and placements.
• Music for Cirque De Cuse ranges all different styles. Titles include: Rhythmnation, Black and Gold, Off the Rails, Something to Believe in, Take it Off, The Scientist, Work It and More…
• For example, the Work It dance is a combination of crumping, hip-hop and bhangra. Dancers are exaggerating their movements, hitting the beats, and creating sharp angles.
• In contrast, The Scientist is a beautiful modern lyrical piece. The dance incorporates fluid long movements accompanied by a sweet love story. There is one male lead in the dance that searches for his love throughout the dance. The girls are hidden by newspaper and only in the end of the dance can he identify his mate. Their movements are perfectly choreographed and compliment their soft faces.

This was from a Dancer's perspective. Did anyone go see the show? What did you think from the perspective of an audience member? It would be interesting to compare the two viewings.