So welcome back from our slight vacation! I am full of turkey and tired of putting up Christmas decorations already!
For the first week back, I decided to try another college event (which I LOVE) because it reminds me of all the good times I had in college, plus they are interesting and cheap! Franklin and Marshall directed and produced a dance concert this past weekend to highlight and grade students on their end of semester learning. This time I made sure I knew where I was going, lol!
The show consisted of 8 dances ranging from Jazz, Ballet and Abstract. The first dance, My "Sista's Keeper" was a traditional Malian dance that celebrated the bonds of "sistahood". This African dance also included six drummers in the background keeping the beat! It was a very intense performance!
The second was a Jazz ensemble which reminded me of an old 1940's movie and a Michael Jackson music video. A man standing in the middle of the stage holding a hat brim down so you could not see his face. Meanwhile girls danced on a off stage as to tease him. The dimly lit stage also added to the effect.
Next came an interesting dance called "Klezmertanz" which had several female dancers dancing in circles with towels and then showing the motion of crying into them. I liked the dance however it wasn't explained in the program what exactly it was about soooo I did!
"Klezmer" refers to musical instruments but can also mean the musicians themselves. This type of music is often referred to as "Yiddish" music. The "tanz" part of the word means "Dance!" These types of dances change the pace from fast to slow and usually include a type of circle dance. An example of this would be the Hora! See you do learn something new everyday!With a quick intermission and a stretch I was ready for the next performance! Two interesting and WEIRD abstract interpretations! The music was also weird with sounds of crickets, clocks and a radio playing in the background?!? Weird. The pieces were titled "Gone Time" and "Line Up (Excerpts 1976)" were mainly of performers trying to into line but they had many invisible and not so invisible barriers that they tried to get around. After about 20 minutes I can report...THEY GOT INTO A LINE! Was a little boring in the middle but interesting and intense movements.
Finally, I think they wanted the audience to leave on a lighter note so they did three fun and known dances. The first "Buenas Intenciones (Good Intentions)" a flamenco dance, second "Campus Tour" which was a group of students crammed together in the beginning and then separate and free flowing in the end. You get the interpretation. Finally, "Relent(less)" which a fast paced wake you up if your sleeping kind of ballet dance. I was impressed with the lighting and the movements flowing together.
At the end of the performance they had a table of fruit and cookies for the performers and guests in the lobby. I of course took advantage of the cookies!
An added bonus, my car didn't get towed because I was parked in a parking for faculty and students only!! A perfect end!
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