TRACES OF SHE (Evalina Carbonell, Meredith Stapleton, Kat J. Sullivan): 2015 Fringe review 65

"Men Wont Make Passes at Women Wearing Glasses", featuring Meredith and Kat. Photo by
“Men Wont Make Passes at Women Wearing Glasses”, featuring Meredith Stapleton and Kat J. Sullivan.

TRACES OF SHE presents three works focused on “the female embodied”. The first, “Men Won’t Make Passes at Women Wearing Glasses”, is a movement study of posing, catwalking, and standing at a party. The dancers begin with traditional movement, for instance a hip swinging walk, and take turns morphing into a creature-like disintegration of that action. They press up against each other, against the wall, against two spectating performers who, later in the piece, examine similar movement and dissolution. I was surprised by the use of sunglasses: women wearing glasses” seems to refer to a nerdy “four-eyes” idea, whereas there is some allure to sunglasses, which the piece explores with the performers peeking over their shades. The second piece, “Reign”, seems to be an exploration of the waltz using traditional ballet technique as well as geometric modern shapes. Dressed in leotards and floor length full tulle skirts with their heads tightly wrapped in black lace, two dancers cross the room, often diagonally, with consistent and poised moderation.

The group hits their stride with the final piece, “Sycamore”. Delighting in geometry and pacing, seven dancers bring the tree metaphor to life. Chairs and tulle skirts, exchanged and moved around, provide a layer of community from which the movement, engaging and pure, benefitted. While the showcase is based on an exploration of the feminine, it most excels when it is grounded in the natural. [CHI Movement Arts Center, 1316 S. 9th Street] September 18-19, 2015; fringearts.com/traces-of-she.

 

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