CurtainUp
The Internet Theater Magazine of Reviews, Features,
Annotated Listings
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CurtainUp The Internet Theater Magazine of Reviews, Features,
Annotated Listings |
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A CurtainUp Review
Opus Cactus
By Elyse Sommer
Cactus Opus which was created for the Arizona Ballet Company is one of Pendleton's most successful works. If you missed this mesmerizing multimedia work when it was last done at the Joyce Theater twelve years ago, you're in luck. Cactus Opus is back at the Joyce through July 16th. The nineteen varied scenes reflect Cactus Opus's beginnings with the Arizona Ballet since every scene depicts another aspect of Pendleton's vision of the vast Southwest landscape. Different as each sequence is, all are connected in mood, style and the underscoring by the lighting and the exotic, multi-sourced music and lighting. The eye-popping, flickering images of the opening "Desert Storm" segue into the lovely "Cactus Wren/Mornng Star." In it a solo dancer, bathed in intense red light, is joined by several others to pave the way for the panoramic spectacle of transformations to follow. Those transformations are chockablock with dazzling dance fantasies, all atmospherically lit and other mind-boggling ways the interlaced dancers create the illusion of a single image. Given the overarching desert setting, these images include strange but fascinating, limb-mingling creatures running the gamut from slithery, skittery animals to gigantic, scary monsters. The props used to add to the variety of what we see include skateboards that have groups of dancers racng back and forth. If I had to pick my own favorite it would be the "The Pole Dance" that has three male dancers doing a stunning slow-motion version of an Olympic athletic competition. The second part's "Sun Dance" makes effective use of giant fans. If there's any downside to all this mind-boggling display of disconnecting and reconnecting arms, legs and torsos , it's that there are occasional moments when, even the incredible physical virtuosity can't avoid an occasional scene that feels a bit repetitious. And, atmospheric as the lighting is, it comes at the cost of a close look at the dancers' facial expressions. But these are minor quibbles for Momix fans, and anyone who's never seen their truly one-of-a-kind choreography. Watching this ensemble's extraordinary agility may well make you wish to limber up a bit yourself. A good idea . . . especially since the Joyce has scheduled two master class sessions in which Momix member Jennifer Chichpartich will be teaching some of the company's techniques. Each class is $20 and you can sign up on line: Gibneydance.org/JoyceMasterClass.
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Search CurtainUp in the box below PRODUCTION NOTES Opus Cactus Conceived and Directed by Moses Pendleton Associate Director: Cynthia Quinn Costume Design: Phoebe Katzin Lighting Design: Joshua Starbuck and Moses Pendleton Puppet Design: Michael Curry Sculpture Design: Alan Boeding Stage Manager:Jeffrey Main Dancers: Anthony Boccini, Beau Campbell, Samantha Chiesa, Greg Dearmond, Steven Ezra,Lauren Jaeger, Sarah Nachbauer, Matt Ortner, Rebecca Rassmussen, Jason Williams Running Time: Approx: 1 hour and 40 minutes with 1 20-minute intermission Joyce Theater 175 Eighth Avenue From 7/27/17; closing 7/16/17 Reviewed by Elyse Sommer at 7/29/17 performance REVIEW FEEDBACK Highlight one of the responses below and click "copy" or"CTRL+C"
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