Random Dance.RANDOM DANCE ROYCE HALL, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, Los ANGELES UCLA comprises the College of Letters and Science (the primary undergraduate college), seven professional schools, and five professional Health Science schools. Since 2001, UCLA has enrolled over 33,000 total students, and that number is steadily rising. , CA JANUARY 28-29, 2005 In modern dance, national stereotypes no longer hold. (Did they ever?) The U.S. premiere of Wayne McGregor's Nemesis (2002), presented by UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX Live, revealed a company with an expansive, athletic, yet centered style of movement that eradicates any lingering notion of English effeteness. Forget the name of the organization: The combinations proposed by McGregor and his nine dancers are carefully plotted, scrupulously wrought, and engage the entire body. Fiery, leg extensions coexist with rippling torsos and voluptuous arm swings, while the devouring and rearranging of space remains a priority. The movement trajectory, is relentless, even in solos that generate a pulse-pounding tension. McGregor, who founded the troupe in 1992, possesses enormous range. He propels his dancers through an edgy unison; then 20 minutes later, he delivers the coda of the 65-minute work with a solo derived from hip hop that leaves his audience as thrilled and mystified mys·ti·fy tr.v. mys·ti·fied, mys·ti·fy·ing, mys·ti·fies 1. To confuse or puzzle mentally. See Synonyms at puzzle. 2. To make obscure or mysterious. as when the house lights first went down. Nemesis, however, doesn't seem as much about dancing as about the transmogrifying influence of technology. From the beginning, Lucy Carter's and Ravi Deepres' slides of empty, slightly greenish rooms are projected behind the dancers. Later, through some miracle of computer animation, dancers insinuate in·sin·u·ate v. in·sin·u·at·ed, in·sin·u·at·ing, in·sin·u·ates v.tr. 1. To introduce or otherwise convey (a thought, for example) gradually and insidiously. See Synonyms at suggest. 2. themselves into the projections and emerge as wasps; lighting grids seep into the floor and McGregor cavorts with phantom bugs. For Americans, who have been weaned on multimedia saturation, this was tepid stuff. Worse, with Nemesis comes a high decibel decibel (dĕs`əbĕl', –bəl), abbr. dB, unit used to measure the loudness of sound. It is one tenth of a bel (named for A. G. Bell), but the larger unit is rarely used. original electronic score by Robin Rimbaud (professional name: Scanner), who, as he twiddles knobs in the balcony, proves a master of assaulting the ear. The dance comes to life during a sequence in which the dancers are fitted with long, metallic, prosthetic pros·thet·ic adj. 1. Serving as or relating to a prosthesis. 2. Of or relating to prosthetics. prosthetic serving as a substitute; pertaining to prostheses or to prosthetics. arms (the invention of Jim Henson's Creature Shop Jim Henson's Creature Shop is a company founded in 1979 by puppeteer Jim Henson, creator of The Muppets. It was originally created as a result of the observation that the team that had been put together for The Dark Crystal was extremely hard to recreate for Labyrinth, since ) and engage in mortal combat. Here, compact Hilary Stainsby shows glimmers of genuine star power in a solo that suggests The Cage--Generation 2. Similarly armed, Odette Hughes and Antoine Vereecken enter the fray like a pair of carnivorous insects set on devouring each other. But what does it mean? McGregor, who has choreographed extensively for films, is so enraptured en·rap·ture tr.v. en·rap·tured, en·rap·tur·ing, en·rap·tures To fill with rapture or delight. en·rap with technology that he remains goggle-eyed by its surfaces. His nemesis seems to be simplicity. FOR MORE INFORMATION: www.randomdance.org |
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