Trolley Dances
After watching and reflecting on the October 2013 San Diego Trolley Dances, I am left feeling comfortable and content with the form of modern dance. Before having any exposure to the history and style of this dance I would have thought MOdern Dance to be weird and awkward. It was not until this semester that I developed a respect for this style of dance and find it more interesting than I ever thought. The style of the dancers reminded me of our Dance 101 class. I was able to connect with the dancers movement as they leaped through space and made contact between other dancers and really enjoyed the performance. I like how the performers reminded me of people I have come across in my life. They made me feel comfortable to watch their performance as they danced in such a public place.
I was completely able to perceive the choreography of this performance with an open mind because of my background knowledge and appreciation for not only dance but history of modern dance. I feel as though I was very capable of participating as an audience member as I respected the choreography and watched patiently with all my attention during the performance, avoiding playing on my cell phone, and having any unrelated conversations with my guest. I was so interested to hear that one of the performers was in fact deaf and was able to dance rhythmically along with the other performers.
The choreography to me appeared abstract, it was somewhat difficult to tell where they dance began and where it would end. I was very interested in the scenery and landscape the director/choreographer chose to perform his work. One of my favorite parts to this dance was the use of their surroundings and the influence of water.
Jeans choreography included male and female dancers dressed in white with a variation of color accents. You wouldn’t know by looking at the dancers that they were about to perform if you saw them individually, but as a group their outfits portrayed a sense of purity with a hint of corruption with left me feeling impelled to try to watch each dancer individually but as a whole at the same time. I found this task very difficult as my eyes wandered from dancer to dancer enthralled with the emotions and expressions on each individuals face as they would sometimes dance as a group or in pairs. This exposed art to the public in way I have never seen done before. I think the dance had a social implication stating that this form of art is not only for the wealthy upper class but accessible to the general population. Each move a dancer made and told a story of self expression that held much power and pride with a sense of longing for love or a connection deeper than I could understand.
I think the choreography in relation to the scene and location allows more people who may not typically be exposed to the arts to be able to watch and witness modern dance. This is great for people like me who enjoy the arts but typically can not afford to go to the theatre.
I really enjoyed the use of the water in the dance. I thought it was neat how the performers took advantage of their surroundings and made it into an artistic expression. As the dancers moved through the space I was anticipating the use of the fountains. I was pleased when the dancers did infact use this in the choreography.To me the director chose to costume each dancer in white as if they were pure, clean and untouched. When the dancers performed in the fountain I related it to a spiritual meaning and thought it was appropriate for the dance.I really like when the one dancer changed levels and ended up on the ground laying in the water as another set of dancers lifted each other through the air.
The choreographer used all of the space in the scene. I think I now enjoy dance performances that are in a public setting such as this more than a typical stage with a seated audience. I was able to walk around the plaza and view the performance from different points of view. If I were having trouble seeing something I could simply walk to somewhere that I could see the dance at a better angle. Where as typically in a theatre I would be glued to my seat for the entirety of the show even if the seat I was in was not my preferred point of view. The energy of the dancers was uplifting and it appeared to me that the audience really enjoyed the performance. I also like dances like this because as the show went on the audience grew and more spectators joined in to watch the dance. This dance to me was very joyful and the music included in the piece was also very uplifting.
My mood changed throughout the work but overall I feel as though it was intended to be uplifting and joyful. I recognized the purposeful relationship between the choreography and the elements of the costumes, sound and set design. Each aspect to this performance blended very well together and overall increased the aesthetics of the performance.
The dancers could be described as a variation of different ethnicities, cultures and lifestyles. I loved the diversity between the large group and felt like they all really blended well together to created a sense of unity among their differences. At times they were presented as a whole group, moving in unison. Often they would break into smaller groups while part of the group would perform and a set would break off into somewhat of a solo. Even within the group when there seemed to be chaotic moments the group utilized each others movements and talents that made this work particularly interesting. There was one specific dancer that I found to be very inspiring as she was deaf and performed the dance without the ability to hear the rhythm. she mimicked the movements in a way you would never know she couldn't hear. You could tell she was really paying attention to the other dancers while watching a variety of different places at one time. When asked during an interview about her intense concentration, which you could see on her face as she performs the dance Moss said, "I have to pay attention to everything, every detail. I have to watch how the dancers move in their space. I have to know where everyone is at all times on the floor."
Overall I was very pleased with the choreography and style of this dance. It appeared as though the audience also really enjoyed the performance as well. When the dance was through the dancers stayed to answer questions and comments from some of the audience members. You could tell from the audiences expressions throughout the performance that they were pleased with what they saw. I hope that in the future I can attend more public dance performances such as this. It not only leaves you thinking but also helps you to connect with the artistic world at a public level.
Note: Please be sure to include the following for your paper/project:
- Title of the choreography: “Trolley Dances”
- Name of the choreographer: Jean Isaacs
- Name of music/composer: Tony Grant
- Name of costume, lighting and/or set designers:
- Names of performers:
Angel Acuna
Jessica Curiel
Cicily Holcombe
JT Magee
Zahna Moss
Miah Noora-Nguyen
Nicole Oga
Ediran Pangilinan
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