Form & Function: a thousand little cities

Upon first hearing of ‘a thousand little cities’, you may be taken aback by the sheer breadth of material covered within the performance span of a mere few hours. Suffocating hurricanes, laboratory experiments conducted in ominous mansions, and the golden sun of the old Wild West would only seem able to merge together seamlessly in a Salvador Dali painting. Yet what makes this stunning coalition of dance a success is not drawn from its happen-stance surroundings, but by the noisemakers of this drama, although they never speak. Tired, rugged, and fluid shapes of human form paint their emotions across a Spartan landscape, where the lack of frilly set designs leaves only the imagination as the main narrator. Yet don’t let this talk of high art fool you completely, there is no shortage of comical whimsy and cheesy spectacle to be found in museum heists and men in ridiculously large coats. Indeed, some of you true believers may discover that Roy Orbison lives again.   

                This writer had the great pleasure of viewing the opening night’s performance on May 5^th. On the day before I had a chance to speak with many of the dancers about how their last dress rehearsal went...a collective reaction mingling uncertainty, despondency, and anxiety. None of these boils appeared present during opening night.  In my limited experience of critiquing performance art, one of the best ways to deduce professionalism is whether the performers are enjoying themselves. This has to do with both the preparation put into the work as well as the received energy from the audience. The cohesion, and if I may be so bold as to use the word, spunk, exuded from the BodyVox company made the evening quite enjoyable. For my own part, the gamble of writing proposal letters to business companies and selling tickets over the phone, encouraging members of the Portland community to come see the fabulous show, when in fact I had yet to see it myself, most certainly paid off.  Now I encourage both new and old fans of BodyVox alike, whether you have wrung yourselves dry with trepidation  over deciding to attend, or have seen it already, to cast aside all doubts that you will have anything but an exceptional evening. Those interested in viewing the matinee will have to settle for an exceptional afternoon…

…And for you younger dance enthusiasts, not to worry, the word ‘hell’ is only used twice.