From “Silenced Desolation” to “A Soothing Reassurance,” the division of dance at SMU Meadows swept across the Owens Arts Center’s lobby with high jumps, reaching arms, and elongated toes and legs.
On Monday, the first showing of the week-long Brown Bag performances, seating was first-come-first-serve on the floor, so you had to get there early. It was a personal experience between the dancers and the audience because there is no stage and no seating; but it’s a free show, so you can’t complain.
The student choreography ranged in all types: ballet, jazz, modern, and some dances cannot be defined in one category. Fellow SMU students choreographed the Brown Bag dance series; 12 dances within a 50-minute time span.
The 12 dances had tornado twirls, massive leaps, and electrifying body movements. The first performance, “Oh My Soul,” included five men in the background, speaking the word of the Lord, while six beautiful dancers pranced around them. It was spiritual; the men did not interrupt the dancing, even when walking forward through the dancers. The dancers would stretch out their arms and legs towards the heaven, while the men spoke forcefully and loudly above the cello music.
After a few upbeat performances came a silent solo performance called “Silenced Desolation” by student choreographer Jarrell Hamilton. The dancer, Katie Drablos, portrayed everything “silent desolation” would feel like. It left me sad and angry at the same time. Drablos sprawled on the floor, while piano music silently played in the background. Drablos crawled in fear and pain, and finally, she took her dancing outside.
The audience, still inside the Center’s lobby, watched Drablos pour her feelings in broad daylight. The bystanders did not know what to think of Drablos as they walked by, but they dared not disturb her. Her dancing was sporadic; she would burst into the space with her arms and legs, reaching out as if she had just been electrocuted with a burst of energy. Drablos slowly and silently graced the floor, feeling everything in her path as she danced her way back into the building. The dance ends with her on the floor again. All one can feel is pain and confusion about what just happened outside.
How do you follow a dance that leaves the audience sad and amazed? The following performances were more vibrant and dealt with summer love, forever support, and quick mischief. Albert Drake’s piece, “A Soothing Reassurance,” made you feel good to be alive. Drake’s choreography showed off his power on foot, and the quick jolts of movement emphasized how well the body’s muscles work.
Drake used the floor gracefully, and jumped in the air powerfully, like lightning coming out from under the earth’s surface. His dance was amazing to watch, and it ended with a sense of much needed relaxation as Drake lied on the floor with his foot over his knee – at total peace.
The student-choreographed production is an opportunity to witness different styles of dance. “Bring On the Men,” by Drablos and Erin McCormick, was a fun burlesque-type dance that left the audience wanting more. The dance was playful, and the dancers knew how to use their bodies to seduce the audience.
As the music, by Linda Eder, became more energetic, the more the audience became involved: laughing, howling and clapping along with the dancers. The girls, dressed in red corsets, black petticoat skirts, and fishnet stockings, danced in-line and suggestively to the audience. The dancers kicked high, rolled their hips, and used their arms gracefully to show their hunger for men. They finished their dance by bringing the men onto the dance floor.
The presentation became a short tease that only comes twice a year. It leaves the audience wanting more from the dance division, and the only other opportunity is the Spring Dance Concert in April. It was well worth the 50 minutes in between class over the lunch hour, and it only goes on through Friday.
