MOSAIC SHOW
- Moveo Performing Company. A group that was something of a chance meeting that continues to yield nothing but positive occurrences and prove again and again what a dance company should be.
It’s a typical action to have expectations when heading into any experience, especially a performance in a milieu you’re familiar with. Even more so when you already are a fan of the troupe you will be seeing.
Yesterday evening was Moveo’s larger scale dance production: Mosaic, held at the Artist Repertory Theater on SW Morrison in Downtown Portland, Oregon. This evening was comprised of seven different performance labels (Moveo, The Source. MVP Dance Elite, Souldiers, Defcon 5, Groove Nation and “The Prophet” Ibrahim Mustafa). Having a hand in almost every performance were members of Moveo itself, most notably Damon Keller and Lorena Aranda who head up Moveo and yes, those names should sound familiar. To say the least, my expectations were high.
Most dance productions run, typically, one of two ways. There is either an introduction between each number, adding an extra minute to each segment and considerable length to the production; or there is a seamless transition between acts and you simply must pay attention to get the full value and experience. The latter was thankfully the chosen format. Two hours long with an intermission is a good portion of time for anything, especially a dance performance.
That being said, the show glided along, providing twenty nine different performances from the various crews (some dancers actually crossing from one group into another for different pieces). It was mainly an evening of varying styles of Hip Hop and Contemporary, two styles both at the front line of dance innovation at the moment and two of my personal favorites.
The range of choreography stretched from touching contemporary numbers and your current standard “Zombie Dance” lyrical piece (that was done so well and with such a large cast that it was anything but standard), to impressive feats of strength of the b-boys, old school to new lyrical inspired hip hop and finally to numbers of tap that showed you what tap dance could be. One number simply drew me in and I didn’t want to leave, a sort of contemporary jazz number set to a high energy song that inspired a combination of 1920’s juke joint and very Bob Fosse rambunctiousness. A number that literally enveloped my area of vision and all that could be seen was a party of color and sound, with a simple and captivating choreography.
There were a few rocky points. Brief moments of either shaky leg, blank face or simple short slip ups that for just under a second took you out of an excellent performance. Having been on that stage floor myself and having known just how sticky and awkward the surface is, I commend each performer who could hold a pirouette or any slide based movement of any kind, without the snapping of knees. With there not being a single bad seat in the house, you are close and clear enough to pick up on such things. Luckily, the rocky moments were few and the highs many.
Overall, an evening that left me wanting more in the greatest way. I kept finding myself saying “I would love to be in their crew”. It was the perfect kind of dance production. It didn’t just make me want to dance, it had the fire and talent to drive you to do so.
For more information about Moveo Performing Company, please check out:
Also, check ART’s summer line up here for more great shows: http://www.artistsrep.org/
Andrew Slac
Watch Your Step LLC.
- The title reflected exactly what it was, a mosaic of smaller pieces of art that each had definition of their own, but yet when put together as a show, became a larger work with a broader yet cohesive theme of modern and cutting edge hip hop dance.
Great pieces and incredible talent that kept me enthralled from beginning to end – there was no mediocrity here!
Really cool stuff and variety as well, all the way from the larger groups to the single guy in white – of course my favorite was the tap!
Claudia Graver
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