Student Author Program – Review of ONE- The Immortal Game

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photo by Bill Hebert

By Hope DiTaranto for The Dance Journal

This review is part of the Dance Journal’s Student Author Program. Hope is a freshman at Bishop Eustace Preparatory School.  She has studied a variety of genres of dance since the age three. Hope has a particular love and proficiency for tap dance.  She is excited about the student journalism program as a way to explore the merging of her interests in writing and dance.

ONE- The Immortal Game, which opened the Kun Yang-Lin/Dancers performance at the Mendell Theater on Saturday night, was based on the concept of chess and the floor had square outlines, like a chess board.  It started with Jessica Warchal-King and Liu Mo portraying chess players and using hand motions to show how they were moving chess pieces.  I particularly enjoyed when they started yelling out different chess pieces that they were planning to move while the music was not playing.  Even though the players were sitting on boxes in center stage, it still felt like they were fully dancing; they put all of their energy into their movements even though they were only using their arms.

In the beginning of a section entitled Chess Piece, each chess “team” entered one at a time to soft music, which matched the costumes: white tights with differently styled “dresses” with flowing fabric around the neckline.  The music quickly changed to become more dramatic, and the two groups started to have a showdown, which was not shown through the steps used, but rather how they were performed.  All of the male dancers during this piece gave the illusion of power, especially Liu Mo, whose jumps were absolutely incredible.  I liked when the two original chess players called out commands of where to walk, which added to the effect of a battle.  At certain points, the dancers felt almost overwhelming, since there was so much going on, but that was balanced by the moments when the dancers were in sync.  I also loved when Shaness Kemp did a side leg extension where her leg went farther than 180 degrees.

The three boxes that were used in the beginning came back into play when Warchal-King, Evalina Carbonell, and Rachael Hart moved them to center stage.  Kun-Yang Lin, used different levels to add dimension to the movement.

Yang & Yin was a duet between Duane Holland Jr and Mo during which Holland was very sharp and rigid, while Mo was smooth and flowing.  Holland wore the same costume as before, while Mo added a long, white chiffon sleeve to his.  I loved how while Holland was dancing, Mo was in the background, but this setup did not take away from the dancer who was featured at the moment.  While Mo was dancing, I felt that the piece of fabric did not take away from his movements, as some props sometimes do.  Holland and Mo were a good fit for this piece, since they had opposite dancing styles.

In ONE, Olive Prince and Kemp were totally connected with each other, just like the piece’s title suggested.  Lin paired the dancers well, however, Brian Cordova was dancing alone in the background, so I felt like it took away from Prince and Kemp and the feeling of togetherness.

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photo by Bill Hebert

In the Mandala Project, the piece was centered around the idea of Mandala, which means connection, community, and unity.  Earth Mandala started with the dancers in a clump with fabric wrapped around each individual dancer, but it looked like they were all connected, so it was a surprise when the dancers separated.  The dark lighting added to the mood of the dance and made it feel almost sacred.

Jennifer Rose’s solo, Body Mandala, was made up of a shifting style; it used many elements of dance to create an illusion of a changing body.  This was intensified by the angle of her spotlight, which produced a large shadow, especially when she was running around center stage.  Entering Mandala had very unique elements, including when the dancers were counting along to the music and movement.

Lin’s solo, Mandala Offering, was to very traditional music: monk-like chanting.  Lin also wore what looked like a monk’s robe.  The dance was matched to the title, and was an obvious offering.  It also seemed like it told the story of someone looking for connection, and then finding it.

The final piece, Unity-Returning to the Circle, showed the ending of the journey to Mandala, where everyone felt connected.  Lin’s use of circles and connection with partnering sections added to the idea of connection.  I especially liked when during a circle section, dancers in the inner and outer circles were dancing in different directions.  Consistently with the rest of the performance, the choreography itself was not showy, but the dancers performed it to make it seem very dramatic.

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