Photo of Caroline O’Brien by Thomas Weir
by Gregory King for The Dance Journal
Realizing the need for an outlet where artists could give back to the community, Culture Clutch’s co-founders Rachel Glashan Rupisan and Caroline O’Brien launched an initiative, providing such a platform to socially conscious artists. From a hefty submission pool, the Temple University Dance graduates carefully selected a diverse group of artists whose works were multi-dimensional in their exploration of “home” and its effect on the human spirit.
Opening the program was the multi media presentation title Home, images of performers Rebekah Rickards and Ronald Parkers flashed across the screen in interactions that gave insight into a relationship on the verge of possible ruins. Seemingly taking place in a home in disrepair, the facially emotionless duo found ways to connect…if only briefly. A moment with Parker sitting in a chair, holding a picture-less frame left me melancholy, as I watched Rickards climb through the frame, working to invade the empty prop as if she were begging to be a part of the picture.
As the artists peeled back the layers of their creative inquiry, elements of dependency, belonging, and trust were demonstrated in uniquely abstract ways.
Choreographed by Kayla Herbs, suspension in a free fall revealed Herbs and Sarah Braviak working to support each other as they created delicate structures that required balance and strength. Although there were some shaky executions, the acrobatic duo was constantly weight sharing even if their transitions weren’t always smooth.
In Under Maintenance, performer Alexis Dispenziere held her body low to the ground as she repeatedly gestured with her arm as if she were unscrewing a light bulb. In moments of whimsy, Dispenziere trembled her pelvis, allowing her costume to echo its vibration. There was a pull, constantly taking her towards the downstage left diagonal but the intention was unclear.
Mason Rosenthal’s prop heavy performance art piece, One Way Red, was a welcomed change of pace, adding much needed theatrics to the mostly movement-centered line up. While I believe the piece could have benefitted from further investigation to reveal its intention, Rosenthal was keen on taking the audience on a journey. Comedic in her delivery, performer Dani Solomon appeared to be in an apartment as she emptied her backpack onto a table creating animated stories with its contents. After her simulated puppet show, Solomon slid under the covers of a makeshift bed that was prepared downstage. In possibly the most successful scene in the piece, Solomon worked to free her restrained leg from a blanket. The caged leg appeared to be in attack mode, as she resourcefully worked to pull herself away from the blanket’s confinement.
Choreographed and danced by Evalina Carbonell, Fuerza showcased all the elusive qualities of its creator. With her back to the audience, Carbonell splayed her arms, reaching for something unseen. Circling her torso, she appeared to grow into the space before softening her elbow, withdrawing her arms towards her subtly fluttering body.
The pleated skirt she wore expanded with each battement as she used her legs to carve soft curves in the space between herself and those watching.
She performed a gestural phrase as a precursor to her duet with the floor.
Standing, Carbonell was precise, grounded……solid. But on the ground, she exuded an inexplicable comfort, sliding with ease, organically balancing the sturdy pulse of the accompanying musical compositions of Dustin O’Halloran and Rodrigo Solo. Never a moment of jerky transition, it was as if Carbonell controlled the floor. Watching it was apparent that the floor breathed with her – it was familiar, it was home.
Reminiscent of other choreography showcases saturating the Philadelphia dance scene, I found myself wondering what could have set Social Sessions apart from the others. Maybe an outdoor space, allowing the works to become an extension of the environment would have helped the audience make a stronger connection to the arts and community.
A great vehicle for audience and community engagement, Social Sessions serves a greater purpose, as the proceeds will aid in the building of homes through Habitat for Humanity.
As a choreographer, his works have been commissioned by Transformer Station (Cleveland, OH), Georgian Court University (Lakewood, NY), Texas Ballet Theatre School (Dallas, TX), Indiana University (Bloomington, IN), The Ammerman Center for Arts and Technology 16th Biennial Symposium (New London, CT), Current Sessions (New York, NY), and SPACES Gallery (Cleveland, OH), and presented at Dixon Place (New York, NY), The Kennedy Center (Washington D.C.), and Playhouse Square (Cleveland, OH).
He has taught master classes, lectures, and workshops nationally and internationally. He has served as dance faculty for Texas Ballet Theatre and Boston Ballet, as well as visiting assistant professor of dance at Temple University, and Swarthmore College.
King is a dance writer for The Dance Enthusiast, ThINKingDANCE, The Philadelphia Dance Journal, CHOICE Review, and Broad Street Review. Mr. King’s response to the Dancing for Justice Philadelphia event, was published in Conversations Across the Field of Dance Studies and cited in the U. S. Department of Arts and Culture’s 2016 resource guide, Art Became the Oxygen. In 2020 King was awarded a See Chicago Dance Critical Writing Fellowship and was invited to present his research at The University of Auckland, New Zealand.
In addition to having served on the dance review board for the National Endowment for the Arts, King was nominated for a Governor’s Award for the Arts in Ohio and was recently appointed to the Board of OhioDance. He was the 2018 recipient of the Outstanding Creative Contribution award from the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Kent State University, and served as Provost Faculty Associate for the academic year 2019- 2020. Mr. King is a tenure track professor of dance at Kent State where he serves as the artistic director of the Kent Dance Ensemble.
- Dear Philadelphia…. Next Round On Me! - August 17, 2016
- Talia Mason’s Onion Dances: Dancing Memories - July 5, 2016
- A Response to Beyond Dance Company … In Kind - June 30, 2016
