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I saw Philadanco this past Sunday at their performance at UCSB, playing unfortunately not a full audience, though those who were there were very enthusiastic and vocal. They danced a slightly different program at UCSB than what Lewis Segal describes, substituting "Enemy behind the Gates" for "Exotica". Set by Christopher Huggins to minimalist composer Steve Reich's Four Sections, Enemy is an athletically balletic piece for 15 dancers with many multiple pirouettes, fast turns, and jumps. <P>I can't even begin to describe the piece, except to describe its effect on me. During a master class earlier in the day, Hollie Wright, Philadanco's only native Philadelphian, explained one facet of their philosophy succintly: "We like to move fast." They moved fast and big, always, and from the beginning. What was amazing about the choreography is that there is a natural arc to their work with a buildup to the climax, despite the amount of energy they start with. It was a great way to end the night, as it brought the audience to their feet, and I left feeling energized, and wanting to move.<P>Afterwards, the company spent some time answering questions from the audience, and we learned some interesting things. They have 5 programs they carry on tour, with about 16 pieces in their head at any one point. Someone in the audience remarked that they seemed to be genuinely enjoying their dancing, especially near the end of the pieces, and how they dealt with facial expressions --- is it choreographed? They explained that they encourage their dancers to let out whatever feelings they have when they're dancing, so whatever we see on their faces is real and not contrived.<P>They take class in a wide variety of styles, including ballet, jazz, modern (Horton, Graham, etc.), hip-hop, and others, and like other professional dancers, have long rehearsals, and lots of classes every day. They have their own company class taught by a couple of their own dancers --- I wonder when these dancers take company class. Most of them do Pilates, and a few do yoga as well. Overall, the dancers came off as intelligent, articulate, and thoughtful when they talked to the audience. There were no one-word answers, and the answers given were considered.<P>Trina mentions Francisco Gella above. Francisco's a beautiful dancer with good lines, athleticism, and really expressive dancing. The dancers were all very good, but Francisco kept catching my attention every time he moved.<P>I'd also observed their master class earlier in the day, taught by Dawn Marie Watson and Hollie Wright. They gave a class in Horton technique, and, to my untrained eye, the warmup looked like the world's hardest Pilates class. The movement was linear and powerful, but not hard, with none of ballet's typical languidness --- Dawn had to yell out "No ballet arms!" at various times. It was an interesting contrast to watch students try the movements, and then have one of the Philadanco dancers demonstrate it, because whereas the former made it look like some sort of difficult calisthenics, the Philadanco people made it look like dance. I guess this happens in every dance class, but it struck me because I'd never observed a modern dance class before.<P>In all, it was a very enjoyable way to spend a Sunday. It was very inspiring to watch the dancers really move, and if Philadanco is performing in your neck of the woods, be sure to go see them.<P>--Andre<P>[edit for typo]<p>[This message has been edited by Andre Yew (edited February 25, 2002).]
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<P><BR><B>Philadanco</B><P>Marsee Auditorium, El Camino College <BR>16007 Crenshaw Blvd., Torrance<BR> <BR> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Although they hail from Philadelphia, Philadanco ain't no cream cheese. Instead, look for this 30-year-old dance ensemble on the cutting edge of African American movement expression.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P><BR><A HREF="http://www.calendarlive.com/top/1,1419,L-LATimes-Theater-X!EventDetail-40276,00.html" TARGET=_blank><B>Just a Bit More...</B></A>