By Sean Gallagher for The Dance Journal

Since its formation in 2007, Philadelphia based Alchemy Dance Company has performed three annual full length shows at the Philly Fringe Festival.  They have also been featured at The Garden State Dance Festival, The Philly Dance Collective, Project Dance Fest, Mountain Dance Festival, Jam for Jess, and other local showcases. In this past Saturday’s performance, entitled Elixir, Artistic Director and choreographer Amy Harding distinguished herself with a visually compelling fusion of contemporary jazz paired with break-dancing that elated the crowd.

The opening act of the performance was three short pieces, one being a performance featuring guest choreographer Ami Dowden-Fant from Dance Theater X. The piece was very entrancing with rhythmic music layered on mechanical noises. The dancers portrayed a dream-like experience with fluid movements and balanced stage composition. This, set side-by-side with the two pieces Alchemy performed complemented each other in both movement and tone.  A duet titled “A Blessing and A Curse,” performed by Amy Harding and Leslie Ann Pike was definitely a highlight; it was fast paced, high-energy and ended the first act with the audience wanting to see more.

After intermission was the premiere of Alchemy’s longer main piece titled Sideshow Noir. The work was broken up into sections that were tied together with a comical break-dancing master of ceremonies dressed as a ringmaster. It was a carnivalesque series of dance pieces intertwined with the ringmaster introducing his “dolls” (the five female dancers that make up the company), humorously selling Alchemy merchandise, and performing tricks such as 22 hand-hops and a series of b-boy stalls.

The tone of the piece was dark and suspenseful that was set by the controlling and abusive nature of the ringmaster. In the opening section titled “Without Emotions,” the six girls, with vacant expressions, walk down the aisles to the stage and dance in doll costumes as if they were puppets on strings.  The synchronized movements were executed successfully among the group to create an impression that this was second nature for them.

The piece then shifts to an emotional series of solos and duets, where the struggle between the trembling dolls and the ringmaster is explored.  This leads up to the dolls finally standing up and rejecting the ringmaster, and performing a beautiful slower section.  Dressed in white, the dancers finally break free and harmoniously change the mood.  The dancers exhibit athletic extensions and graceful movements.  It is a dramatic contrast to the jarred movement and automated feeling that the earlier pieces conveyed.

The costumes in the show really added to the mood and helped reinforce the theme that Harding was trying to portray.  In the earlier sections of the piece dancers were dressed in all black and white, with painted faces.  In “Without Emotions” each dancers had their face painted differently like antique clown dolls; the exaggerated tears and frown faces amplified the fear and anxiety.

The finale shines through the overall bleak setting as the dancers transform after their abandonment of the ringmaster, depicting a cathartic explosion of emotion.  The lights brighten, the costumes change to bright ruffled crimson shorts and flashy sleeveless shirts, and the dancers let loose in a high energy jazz piece to the music of Fatboy Slim.  The choreography is thrilling and ends with Blyth Smith’s impressive solo as the other girls circle her on the floor.

This show was definitely a highlight for me at Philly Fringe Festival 2009.  The dynamic shift of emotion and movement, intricate costumes, and fusion of styles resonated with the crowds.  Amy Harding’s unique style and interesting choreography leaves no time for a dull moment in a show.  As a fan of Alchemy, I can say that the company is constantly evolving and definitely one to look out for in the Philadelphia dance circuit.