A Case of You (2005)

Choreography by Judith Jamison

Music by Joni Mitchell; Performed by Diana Krall

 This is a very romantic duo dance. The woman wears a fantastic red dress. At one point, she runs up the man and jumps up onto this thighs in an impressive move. It is full of emotion. The piece starts with about a minute of no music. This may work well in other venues, but in the large Auditorium Theatre in the middle of winter, the sound of coughing is the soundtrack.

 Fandango (1995)

Choreography by Lar Lubovitch

Music by Maurice Ravel

 Alvin Ailey has another piece that also uses Ravel’s Bolero, Walking Mad (2016). This other piece matched the playful sound of the music much better than this one. This dance was athletic and strong, a complete mismatch with the music that resulted in a mixed experience.

 

Revelations (1960)

Choreography by Alvin Ailey

 This is a full company piece that is met with a loud applause right when it starts. It’s gospel music that plays which gives the piece a religious feel. It’s happy, sad, and beautiful. Since its premiere, it has been performed continuously around the globe and it has become the most widely seen modern dance piece in the world.

This program will be repeated on Sunday at 3pm. The other performances will include different dances.

 

Get tickets now for Alvin Ailey through Sunday!

Cost of a ticket: $140 (Back Orchestra)

PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Half Price –

Rating Scale: Exceptional Value > Worth It > Half Price > Go for Free > Don’t Bother

 

Quinn Delaney

Riverdance is much more than just Irish dancing. It is also a fantastic concert with fiddle, saxophone, drums, Uilleann pipes, and tin whistle. It’s incredibly beautiful and exciting music that captures the culture of Ireland. The music accompanies the dancing perfectly. As the tap dancing increases to lightning fast speed, so does the music. When all the dancers join hands and dance in a circle, the music sounds like a big party.

In the second act, a dance-off takes place between the Male Troupe and the American Tappers with a backdrop of NYC. It’s a very exciting back and forth as they push each other back and forth across the stage. The American Tappers poke fun at the Irish Dancing but then adapt it to their own style. One of the Tappers throws in some hip hop moves. It’s a cool blend of styles that would have been great to see even more.

The two principal dancers, Jason O’Neill and Maggie Darlington are exceptional and they have a lot of stage time.

See the fantastic choreography in the 25^th Anniversary Tour of Riverdance through February 9^th!

Cost of a ticket: $61 (Orchestra)
PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Worth It
Rating Scale: Exceptional Value > Worth It > Half Price > Go for Free > Don’t Bother

Quinn Delaney

Merriam-Webster defines burlesque as theatrical entertainment of a broadly humorous often earthy character consisting of short turns, comic skits, and sometimes striptease acts. This productions focuses on the striptease acts. Only one of the dances was comical. It’s an airplane based scene where an audience member is brought on stage. After teasing him for a while, they wheel him behind a screen and the word “Occupied” appears. Behind the screen, you can see one of the dancers kneeling in front in the audience member as everyone wonders what is happening back there. It is a very moment.

There is one sexy scene which doesn’t feature any dancing. Instead it is a stop motion piece where the dancers pose for a few seconds in the light, the stage goes dark, and then they move into the next position. The scene involves a bathtub and pouring water onto each other in a scintillating manner.

There is one aerialist who very athletically performs. She flips and flies across the stage in an impressive manner. In fact, most of the acts are big, rocking, and showy. The title of X Rocks more accurately describes this show than X Burlesque.

Get tickets now for X Burlesque.

Cost of a ticket: $73
PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Half Price
Rating Scale: Exceptional Value > Worth It > Half Price > Go for Free > Don’t Bother

Quinn Delaney

 

PlaylistHQ Winners:

#1) When You Love Someone

Choreographer: Chase Bowden

Music: “When You Love Someone” by James TW

A beautiful piece that begins with a married couple in a fantastically choreographed fight that leads to their divorce. It then turns to their son, who is really struggling with the split. They each try to confort him separately. It’s a full story encapsulated in just three and a half minutes. The choreography was very impressive.

#2) Remind Me

Choreographers: Matthew Kazmierczak & Daniel Bernardo

Music: “Remind Me” by Emily King

An exceptional piece about a couple who first meet on a bench in a park. They fall in love as they remind each other of something that they used to feel, something they had been missing. The dancing fully captures the song and is so full of joy.

#3) Self-Reflection

Choreographer: Caleb Brauner

This was the opening piece. In a competition show, it can be difficult to win when you go first. It’s very hard to remember at the very end. Also, when the audience is watching it, they don’t have anything else to compare it to. Nevertheless, this one was a fantastic start and thus earns the #3 spot.

#4) The Man and the Machine

Choreographer: Alan Salazar

Music: “The man who married a robot” by The 1975 w/ and Sh’Diah by Bon Iver

A very unique piece in which a man falls in love with the internet. The only light is from handheld lights held by the dancers. The main character has a blue light, while the others have orange and red. It is very visually pleasing and a great representation of the song.

 

The official winners of the 2020 Capezio A.C.E. Awards:

1) Grayson McGuire & Shiori Kamijo

2) Noelle Marsh

3) Sarah Steben and Brandon Croisetiere

The musical choices all night were excellent. Here are a few of the other songs used:

Scott Joplin – The Entertainer

Donovan Woods – Portland, Maine

Lo-Fand – “You’re The One That I Want”

Jesse Marchant – Reminders, Defeats

JSMN – Talk is Cheap

Natalie Cole – This Will Be

Get tickets now for full shows choreographed by last year’s winners through Saturday at https://www.themontalban.com/moves.

Cost of a ticket: $40 and up
PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Worth It +
Rating Scale: Exceptional Value > Worth It > Half Price > Go for Free > Don’t Bother

Quinn Delaney

 

Krayola

The light shines down on the three crayons. They jump up and down hoping to be chosen, fighting each other for position. The light goes off and disappointment fills their faces. They were not picked. Shortly after, the light returns and they again jockey for position and try to push the others out of the way. This is a hilarious and very fun opening piece. The performers are clearly enjoying themselves and the audience is eating it up.

 Couples Therapy

A couple begrudgingly enters the room. A voice tells them to begin. They start on the obstacle course and the woman quickly trips. “Again!” says the voice. This time, the woman jumps over the obstacle, but then the man gets hit in the face. “Again!” This choreography unfolds in a cyclical pattern and the audience has an opportunity to enjoy their success as they progress with each sequence. This piece not only provides entertainment, but it truly draws the audience in as it evokes feelings of connectedness and relatability. The performers beautifully depicted the power of perseverance and true partnership and its impact on successful and happy relationships

 Lecture (Excerpt from A Life With No Limits)

 A man enters to give a lecture. While he lectures, the other performers lie on the ground and pass him along mainly using their legs. Afterwards, the lecturer places them in various intricate and acrobatic positions. This piece is very impressive, both athletically and visually.

 The Fool and the World

The idea of this piece is to create a dance to represent each of the 22 main tarot cards. After performing the full deck, an audience member is invited on stage to draw three cards, which they will perform. The audience is instructed to think of a question that is personally important to them. Firstly, she draws The Sun, which represents the past. This dance is very joyful and playful and could represent a fun childhood. Secondly, she draws The Emperor. The dancers perform this act with power, control, and strength, which could represent a hard-working adulthood. Lastly, she draws The Devil. The performers present a feeling of personal demons and struggle. This could represent a major challenge in midlife. It was a very interesting way to explore the tarot cards through acrobatic dance.

Check out the other productions coming up as part of Steppenwolf’s Lookout series.

Quinn Delaney