This dance review is the second installment of three articles, examining the artists who were presented April 18th, 2010, at the Performance Mix Festival at Joyce Soho. In this chapter, the artists Brynne Billingsley and Josh Beamish were reviewed.
The third piece in the concert, Elbow Tow Blues, started out with a fan blowing. A woman, Brynne Billingsley, set herself up in the blackout wearing an enormous costume. When the lights went up her upper body was hidden, only exposing a giant skirt suspended up by the air produced by the fan, looking like a jellyfish. Soon after she rose up appearing as a woman. She did a virtuosic back bend before transitioning away from the fan and further out into space. It became clear that the dance was about the costume and its accessories. Once she had finished with manipulating the massive skirt, she removed it as well as a necklace of pearls, which she proceeded to dance with, pressing the pearls to her bosom and limbs. Finally, she discarded the pearls and finished stripped of props but still in front of the fan blowing what was left of her while the lights faded out.
Next was Mermaid Parade, a duet by Josh Beamish who also performed in the piece. It opened with a female dancer, Cristina Graziano, staggering in her pointe shoes. She circled her pelvis repeatedly with her back to he audience. As she turned around, her long hair was unfastened, masking her face. She continued to stumble in her pointe shoes, appearing to attempt to access the function of her legs, yet falling continually to the ground in dismay, evoking the image of a mermaid just getting her human legs. When the male dancer came out he began to partner the female, but with an unusually indifferent manner. The two dancers began to struggle with one another, but the reason as to why they were struggling was ambiguous. It finished with both dancers separate from one another experiencing different physical states. The male was spasmodic while the female kept passing her fingers through her hair. Although initially compelling, the image of her fingers through the hair went on for too long, losing its potency.
This dance review continues with one more installment, reviewing the last two artists in the concert: Ashley Anderson and Jody Sperling.
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