The piece begins with a single dancer running frantically and fearfully on the stage. She is running from something. We don’t know what.
“Darkness—Dancing to Pieces,” performed by the Philly-based Koresh Dance Company this past weekend (March 14-16) at FringeArts, is “dedicated to all the victims of the Nova Dance Festival.” In an introduction to the show, Ronen Koresh, director and choreographer states that the theme of this work is “personal,” but that each person should interpret it in his/her own way.
In the nine segments, which run continuously, without intermission, there is joyous group dancing, interrupted with music and movements that suggest killings, as the dancers fall one by one to ground and get up again. Certainly these refer to the Israeli massacre. The music composed by Sage DeAgro-Ruopp goes from spiritual to joyous to dark.
But, darkness is a broad term and can be interpreted in so many ways. Any pain, loss, and grief can cause one to “die.” in some way. How do we cope? I am never disappointed with a Koresh production. With expert professional skill and deep emotional connection, the dancers convey the theme of this piece which is ultimately positive.
Words in the program read, When darkness comes and takes over we have to fight back, as dancers we use dance as means of defiance and healing. We will dance the darkness to pieces and we shall rise again.
The dancers dance pain. They dance lost connections and despair. And they dance hope, renewal and persistence. The last segment, “We Shall Dance Again,” is powerful. The music of the early joyous group dancing returns along with a beat that cannot be ignored. They break from synchronized movements in rows into a circle and begin to improvise—dancing freely with wild abandon. By this time, the audience was on it’s feet clapping and moving. The house lights are turned on to invite the audience into the dance. This part moved me to tears because I felt the power of expression, the resistance in the dance, the promise that light wins over the dark.
As long as we keep moving. Keep creating. Keep dancing.
Thank you Koresh!
I wish I could have seen this production. It sounds so healing.
I love when Roberta writes.
“The dancers dance pain. They dance lost connections and despair. And they dance hope, renewal and persistence.”
thanks for the review.
My only regret was that there weren’t more performances. I would have seen it again!
Inspiring, indeed…
To be in the theater during this strong performance must have filled the space with innumerable emotional and physical energies…no surprise you would wish to see it again…and again!
Exactly!!