Triple 8's 'Unconditional' fails to capture the heart

In characteristic fashion, Triple 8 incorporates a wide variety of styles into its pieces, from martial arts to hip-hop to lyrical to traditional East Asian fashion. No one can accuse Triple 8 of being repetitive or choreographically uniform. Unfortunately, most of the company's dancers are not skilled enough to do justice to the international fusion of styles on stage. On its website, Triple 8 states its belief in the power of dance to "promote cross-cultural dialogue" unites and drives the company. While I find this a worthy and admirable philosophy, the overall quality of the performances in "Unconditional" fail to inspire or provoke.

One area in which Triple 8 shines is its martial-arts sequences. While the male actors often look inexperienced and uncomfortable in other pieces, they are impressively intense when stage-fighting one another. "Martial Arts Fusion" and "Traditional Martial Arts" in Act One and "Bond" in Act Two are all strong in this regard.

Elizabeth Chen '10, the group's costume manager, also deserves compliments for acquiring a remarkable assembly of colorful fabrics and props for the show. As the choreography alternates between traditional and modern, so do the costumes. "Mongolian," "Peacock Dance" and "Porcelain Vase" all feature striking clothes. "Porcelain Vase" actually combines old-world and contemporary fashion influences in one versatile outfit - a blue silk strapless dress with detachable billowy white sleeves - in this piece about the merging of courtship traditions.

The quality of the dances in "Unconditional" directly correlates to the pace and intensity of the music. While most dance groups intentionally arrange their pieces so that they open and close with a bang, Triple 8 opens with a tranquil performance marked by poses that give the audience the sensation of watching a yoga or Pilates class.

The livelier pieces are much more compelling. "Bonita Cadera," for example, is a fun, flirty piece about a fiery temptress portrayed by Karin Tsai '11, who can twirl and dip to her heart's content with every man in the room. In the unexpectedly dramatic finale of "Lian Xiang," a Chinese dragon stands on its hind legs, mirroring the dancing of Chau Nguyen '11, supported by her baton-twirling counterparts. "Forever," named for the Chris Brown song that accompanies the piece, is sure to be a crowd pleaser, proving that the quality of the music significantly influences the general appeal of the dance. Not only will audience members find themselves dancing in their chairs during this one, but the dancers genuinely look like they are having fun on stage. The enthusiasm and intensity that defines this piece is noticeably lacking, however, in some of the other routines.

As someone with little knowledge about East Asian dance, I recognize that students who are familiar with the culture and style influencing these pieces will likely appreciate the Triple 8 show in a way that I cannot. However, impressive dancing needs no introduction and, regrettably, "Unconditional" left me wanting more.