This weekend, diSiac's spring show, "Trip," is showing in Frist Theatre. If you have an itch to see a dance performance before the year is out, "Trip" just might be the one to see.
"Trip" is a different sort of dance show. Rather than focusing on dance in the traditional sense of the word, many of the pieces in this show are highly theatrical, using dance to create an insulated world in which a story is told. This, of course, goes hand in hand with the show's theme: The show takes us on a "trip" from place to place.
For those of you who are not dancers or passionate about dance and simply want to go to the show for entertainment, this is a wonderful show to attend. The diSiac dancers are some of the very best on campus, some of the choreography is very strong, and the show is altogether quite solid and enjoyable.
The standout of the show is a modern/lyrical piece choreographed by Colleen Poynton '09 called "Where Have We Come?" With the visual aid of news headlines and military images, Poynton's dance provides poignant commentary on the sad state of affairs in today's world. The choreography is beautiful and intensely emotional. At the back of the stage, dancers in pedestrian clothes line up on chairs, dancing rhythmically and almost mechanically to the heavy beat of the music. At one point, the space morphs to create a subway car. As the piece progresses, the dancing intensifies and becomes increasingly violent. The end of the piece is particularly chilling. Poynton proves with "Where Have We Come?" that dance can be extremely powerful and affecting.
Another very strong piece is "Let It Ride," choreographed by Andre Woody '09 and Gabby Wilson '09. Hip-hop is all about the rhythm and beat of the music. Because of this, one of the most common pitfalls in hip-hop choreography - evident in some of the other pieces - is that the dance becomes stilted, falling into the basic beat of the song rather than using the beat to create a layer of rhythm on top of the music. This is not the case in "Let It Ride." Woody and Wilson have created a dance that is sensitive to the music and uses innovative choreography that flows smoothly and easily into itself, with no stilted transitions. Rather than a series of interesting images, it is one cohesive, fluid piece. The dancers in this piece are particularly strong; the rhythm pulses through each of their bodies, and they are all in sync with one another. The piece goes on for a little too long and is missing an arc or a change, but it is nonetheless thrilling to watch.
Lighting, designed by Christopher Gorzelnik, is another strength of the show. In a few of the dances, lights flash on and off, adding an element of mystery and of foreboding to the piece. Dimmed lights flash bright white on dramatic downbeats and slide from a soft blue for the beautiful slow dancing into an angry, intense red for fast-paced movement. The lights show a clear understanding of and sensitivity to both the music and the nuances of the choreography, focusing the audience's attention and magnifying the messages and emotions of each individual piece.
The same three problems that plague every other Princeton dance show rear their heads in diSiac's "Trip," however.
First of all, there are too many dancers occupying too small a space. The Frist Theatre is simply too small to accommodate a company as large as diSiac. Solution: Make the company smaller, or limit on the number of dancers that are in each piece. Some of the dances were too crowded and squished together to be enjoyable to watch.
Secondly, the female dancers are generally leagues ahead of their male counterparts. Some of the male dancers in diSiac are very talented and are just as good as their female peers, but others simply look out of place.
Finally, some of the choreography is weak and repitions, relying on tried-and-true dance movements and repetitions. Some of the dancers are not as expressive as others and fade into the background.
But overall, "Trip" proves that diSiac is at the top of Princeton's dance community. This company of dancers is jaw-droppingly talented, and a number of pieces in the show are really gratifying for the audience.
Overall, diSiac presents a strong, enjoyable performance. From "The Wizard of Oz" to a club, from a child's playroom to the Firestone carrels, diSiac takes you on a trip that's worth the ride.
"Trip"
diSiac Dance Company
Frist Performance Theatre
Thursday, April 24 at 8 p.m.
Friday and Saturday, April 25 and 26 at 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Student Events Eligible
4 out of 5 paws
Pros:
Extremely talented dancers
Some good choreography
Great lighting design
Cons:
Too large a company for too small a space
Females tend to be better than males
Some choreography is weak
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