'Rituals' everyone can enjoy

DiSiac Dance Company's "Rituals" not only explores all kinds of customs, but often challenges those customs as well. While cliche injections of personal politics in a performance usually make me yawn, I have great respect for a work of art that can ask pertinent questions in a fresh and innovative way. There are plenty of those kinds of questions in this performance, along with a couple of excellent moments that challenge these rituals.

"The Rejection," choreographed by David Walters '11, was the first such challenge. The piece itself has dynamic choreography, style and geometry, but it wouldn't be nearly so memorable had it stuck to the standard boy and girl on-stage couple. Instead, during much of the piece, two female dancers perform essentially the same choreography as the other male-female couples. The effect is not overly sensual or an in-your-face political statement - it merely challenges expectations and raises well-timed questions.

"Anchor," choreographed by Shawn Cruz '10, was breathtaking, and it is definitely one of the strongest pieces. It contains both ensemble work and solo work, and the solos really play to the strengths of the individual dancers. The choreography is made beautiful by its attention to momentum, the way a dancers' energy moves through the lines of the body and beyond them. The piece is well placed as the last dance before the intermission, because it would be a shame to pass over it too quickly. At the end of the piece, the dancers grasp for something beyond the confines of the stage, breaking through the fourth wall - or breaking out of the ritual of maintaining it.

"No Smoking Please," choreographed by Carlo Frem '12, which is partially set to Amy Winehouse's "Rehab," is rebellious and spunky, just like Winehouse herself. "Rehab" isn't the only music that's used, but it's definitely the spirit of the piece, which explores some of the stereotypes about smoking in America. It's a lot of fun, and very frequently I found myself giggling.

"Variation," choreographed by Clelia Douyon '10, explores the ritual of a ballet technique class. The choreography incorporates a kind of stylized ballet vocabulary, which begins with tendu and temps lie and gradually expands to grand allegro. It's a joyful piece, and I enjoyed the way it grew in energy and fullness. Each class is a journey from simple to complex, and the piece plays well with that idea.

Overall, the performance is brilliantly executed and is a tribute to diSiac's technical and choreographic talents, and the passion is there to support all of it. In short, it's a beautiful performance: pithy, powerful, a bit raunchy at times and certainly not to be missed.

5 paws

Pros: Excellent technique, as usual. Poignant and passionate.