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Robert Abrams
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Modern/Contemporary
Judson Memorial Church
United States
New York City
New York
New York, NY

Lori Belilove & The Isadora Duncan Dance Company - The Art of Isadora - The Beliloveables - Baroque Improvisation, Suite of Schubert Waltzes, Dances Inspired by Greek Mythology, Suite of Three Chopin Mazurkas

by Robert Abrams
May 26, 2012
Judson Memorial Church
55 Washington Square South
New York, NY 10012
The Beliloveables are the Junior Troupe of the Isadora Duncan Dance Foundation.

This performance was a celebration of Isadora Duncan's 135th birthday.

www.isadoraduncan.org

The free flowing quality of this performance inspired me to write a free flowing review.
Dancers in soft, free flowing tunics.
Suggestions of ancient Greece.
Greek style statues in back.
Five very small dancers and Lori Belilove in a white tunic and rich purple sash demonstrates a class with kids.
Dancing real life motion, like getting fruit from baskets.
Kids have pink flowers in their hair.
Seems like low pressure dance instruction where the movement style also fits children's nature.
My daughter was sleepy, but now is attentive.
Running, skipping.
Nice arms.
Little kids, maybe five years old.
No little boys.
Maybe a little long as an intro to a show, but this seems like a sympathetic, kid friendly audience and it is an excellent intro to their classes.
Show starts - nine teenagers in pastel gradient multicolored tunics.
Arm movements.
Stretching.
My daughter imitating the dancers a little.
Some standing, some on ground, otherwise the movements are similar.
Good use of levels.
Three groups of three.
Free spirited movement style.
Rest in statue poses.

Scherzo
More active.
Flowing costumes, flowing hair.
No ballet buns.
Good synchronicity.
Dancers have good presence, even without allowing for the dancers being a junior company.
Free form but underlain with structure.
My daughter claps.

Ballspiel/Three Graces
More dancing by my daughter in her seat.

Schubert Waltzes
More of my daughter dancing in her seat.
Based on terracotta devotional figures of everyday life.
In general, feels like what one might do if one felt compelled to dance in a meadow on a sunlit spring or summer day.
Orange dancer with a long wrap used as a floater and amplifier of her movement.
Exceptional and nicely marked.
My daughter is attentive.
Nice five grouping. (Five in X shape, with three moving clockwise around the group from upstage to downstage.)
3:40 pm, my daughter is laying down in my lap.
Show pretty much sold out.
Big finale, all cast, holding baby gesture.
They have a family souvenir program.
Oral tradition dance form.
Flowering of womanhood.

Other kids in the audience are attentive.
My daughter is up at 3:52 pm, and back down.
I would like to see a little more extension.
We were out at the playground in the hot sun before the show.
Lovely extended work.
Internal joyousness is intent and result.

Mazurkas
Would my daughter fall asleep to this music at night? (Anything that would help lull her to sleep at an appropriate time would be valuable.)
A free spirit, but one that is self assured and in control. Some of the ideal traits one would want in a daughter.
Can see the kids class in the last piece - running with style.
Colored tunics probably accurate re: what Greek statues really were like.
4:20 pm.
No audience participation at the end.

All in all, an excellent introduction to the Isadora Duncan style of modern dance.
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