Longwood Company of Dancers ventured to Richmond, just an hour east of Farmville, on Friday, Sept. 20 under the recommendation of their director and Longwood Dance Instructor Rodney Williams to see the Dallas Black Dance Theatre Company perform at the Grace Street Theater.
The Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts Department of Dance and Choreography sponsored the performance. It was the first event of VCU Dance’s 2013-2014 performance season.
The Dallas Black Dance Theatre is a professional contemporary modern dance company based out of Dallas, Texas. It was founded in 1972 under the artistic direction of Ann Williams and is a renowned multi-ethnic troupe with a global audience.
The curtain opened with the piece “Variations I.” Choreographed by Milton Myers, it began and concluded with the same sequence of movement: four woman of the company speed walking, their gazes intently forward, only broken when encountering another dancer in their path; then, and only then, would they divert their attention, instead glaring for a split second at that other dancer.
The piece experimented with variation as well as the dichotomy between lyrical and pedestrian movement. Katricia Eaglin moved with an elevated grace across the stage. Though repeating one phrase throughout the movement, with each arch of her back she brought out a new intricacy of the human body, with each arch of the eyebrow a different motivation for the variation.
A standout performance, choreographed by Asadata Dafora and performed by Christopher McKenzie, Jr. entitled “Awassa Astrige/Ostrich” interpreted this bird, the ostrich, through movement. McKenzie impressively portrayed this “king of the birds” with a warriorlike strength; his arm muscles rippling as he, with careful precision, waved them up and down. His head moved in perfect isolation; his intent concentration in some other realm apparent as he transformed into a bird.
Featuring the men of Black Dallas, “Instinct 11.1,” choreographed by Francesca Harper, began in silence. In yellow pants, the men powerfully wielded their bodies and kept in nearly perfect sync, utilizing only the sound of their own breath to keep time. Midway into the dance, the sound of the White Change and Watusi Warrior Drums were seamlessly introduced, and led the men through the rest of the physically demanding work.
For dancers and non-dancers alike the Dallas Black Dance Theatre Company is not something to miss if you get the chance. Their repertoire is varied, artistically compelling and at the very least shows the incredible capabilities of the human body.
