ODC/San Francisco

The Joyce Theater, New York, NY, October 11-16, 2005

Artistic Director: Brenda Way
Co-Artistic Director: KT Nelson
Associate Choreographer: Kimi Okada
Assistant to the Choreographers: Brian Fisher
Dancers: Brian Fisher, Private Freeman, Justin Flores, Daniel Santos, Yayoi Kambara, Corey Brady, Anne Zivolich, Andra Flores, Marini Fukushima, Quilet Rarang, Elizabeth Farotte (apprentice)

Jennifer Wesnousky
October 16, 2005

In their performance at Manhattan's Joyce Theater on October 16, 2005, the ODC/San Francisco company dancers were, without exception, technically immaculate and emotionally brilliant. While each and every dancer drew in the eyes of audience members at one point or another, the ensemble worked harmoniously- albeit amazingly aerobically- together throughout their performance.

Comprised of exquisite isolations and childlike running and tumbling about, the corps piece, RingRoundRozi, combined infantile interactions with adult undertones. Set to Linda Bouchard's commissioned score (a combination of childish mumblings, strange sound effects and even an eerie rendition of "Frere Jacque"), the number's surreal quality was accentuated by the dancer's dreamlike ability to produce amazing extensions and identical lines. Their costumes, consisting of cotton shorts and t-shirts in muted grays and greens, contributed to the sometimes gloomy mood, as did the inclusion of spooky violin music and the performers' almost ghoulish facial expressions. Imaginative partnering sections included male-female as well as female-female and male-male combinations of dancers who effortlessly picked one another up, at times carrying each other about like infants. In other moments, they seemed to engage in a sort of pseudo-struggle through movement ranging from sensuous bodyrolls to throbbingly sharp accents.

In "24 Exposures," the dancers hit photographic "still" lines, catapulting one gorgeous, dark-skinned dancer impressive distances across the stage from her perch atop one performer into the arms of another. The choreography included joyous runs about by girls in floral print dresses and guys in khakis and tees, appearing almost tourist-like. Conveying a playful mood, the dancers were all smiles as they executed acrobatic, aerial and extremely athletic moves which were always technical and musical perfection.

"On a Train Heading South" featured twelve huge blocks of ice hanging from the ceiling, which melted, dripping increasing amounts of water throughout the piece. The gauzy white dressed cast danced away in oblivious bliss as the unspeakably beautiful dark skinned soloist (who, as I mentioned in the excerpt about the previous piece, was featured in all three numbers, I could find no mention of her name as a soloist in the program) appeared to sob, motioning frenetically to her castmates to pay attention

Despite demanding choreography, the ODC/San Francisco dancers never once lost their physical or emotional integrity throughout their performance.

Anne Zivolich and Daniel Santos in On a Train Heading South
Photo courtesy of RJ Muna

Justin Flores and Andrea Flores in On a Train Heading South
Photo courtesy of RJ Muna