On Saturday April 27, 2013 the CSULB dance department showed original pieces of choreography from faculty members Lorin Johnson, Sophie Monat, Gerald Casel, Keith Johnson, and Andrew Vaca. Each piece was very different from the others, which made for an exciting and well-rounded show of dance.
The opening piece was Social Domain by Lorin Johnson. Johnson incorporated simple costumes, a huge projector which displayed different things off the internet, and plain lighting. The pictures and images that were being displayed on the screen were reflected by the dancers’ different movements by either reacting to the visuals or completely mirroring it. The piece was comical at times, but also had a dark meaning within. The dance could have been interpreted as a comment on social media. Megan Guise was portrayed as the victim of what seemed to be cyber bullying. At one point she should on the edge of the stage with the spotlight down on her and it looked as if she was going to jump and commit suicide. The movement quality was very smooth and balletic. It was not strictly ballet technique because there was a lot of rolling on the floor. Overall, the piece developed quite well, made a statement about social media, and was interesting to watch.
Following was a duet titled Then and Now by Sophie Monat. Molly Matutat and Jobel Medina were absolutely breath taking in this piece. From start to end the dance was mesmerizing and the energy level never dropped. The lighting was simple and so were the costumes. The dancers were connected with each other throughout the piece whether or not they were physically touching. The music was beautifully played by CSULB grad student Minna Im, she performed onstage with the dancers, which added another element. The dance was definitely balletic and both dancers were wearing ballet shoes. It was interesting because the partnering was not a typical pas de deux. The piece was abstract and seemed to be only about movement and the relationship between the two dancers.
To close up the first act was The Humans by Gerald Casel. The 25 minute piece opened with video close ups of three dancers faces, heavy breathing, and their dancing. It then went into the first portion of the piece. The cast dressed in many different beige and brown outfits began to accumulate on stage. The movement got progressively more chaotic, until another video clip appeared with more dancers moving frantically and birds flying around. The second half of the dance was much different than the first. It was very dramatic, with many lifts, a chair, singing, unique lighting and lots of chaos. The style was definitely modern, and required some acting. The piece could be interpreted as the way humans react with one another. How they feel and respond to one another or how they might want to respond but don’t. This piece was the most abstract piece of the night. Aesthetically there was so much going on, onstage but it was not overwhelming to the audience.
Following intermission was Happy Come Home by Keith Johnson. The dancers had bright facial expressions for the most part, and the costumes looked like normal clothes. The movement depicted what the lyrics of the song were saying. The space between the dancers was close, they seemed like a group of friends spending time together and having fun. The piece was split into different sections that portrayed friendship, sexuality, gender, animals, and hardships. The movement was modern technique, and the story was a narrative depicting the song lyrics.
The final piece was Going Forward: more dances about cities and people by Andrew Vaca. This piece was a strong one to finish out the show. It was jazz technique without a doubt and all of the dancers were very strong. The costumes and hair all made a bold statement. The lighting was spectacular, and went perfectly with all of the music changes. The piece seemed to describe traveling, moving on, and seeing new places. The aesthetic of the dance was very formation based. The lines of all the dancers were clean and the movements were sharp. It was overall very musical, and a wonderful way to end the night of well-rounded dancing.
For more information regarding the CSULB department of dance degree programs and upcoming shows visit their website at
http://www.csulb.edu/depts/dance/.
