This dance review is the third 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 Ashley Anderson and Jody Sperling were reviewed.
Dead Dog Song, by Ashley Anderson, was a uniquely compelling duet. It opened with two dancers on stage, quietly present and physically still. One dancer began moving closer to the other dancer on stage. Her movements were like liquid. Both dancers’ costumes look like abstract schoolgirl uniforms. After the first dancer reached the second dancer, they continued together in repeated sequences of choreography on the floor from close to the audience to far upstage. Meanwhile the minimal music accompaniment was looped, enhancing the repetition of the dancers movements, yet never in the same manner. Their dancing was smooth and detailed, offering a stunning simplicity. They performed with considered intention, drawing the viewer into their mysterious world. This duet was reminiscent of Postmodern dance aesthetics where the performers’ tasks created the content of the piece. Finally and whimsically, the dancers rolled onto their backs with what appeared to be wax paper and vocalized tones through the paper with their mouths that caused the paper to vibrate and buzz. As a few audience members giggled the lights went out.
The last piece in the concert was choreographed by Jody Sperling and performed by students from Barnard Columbia College. It was entitled Ghosts Revisited (2008/2010). The piece began with a solo dancer onstage, performing a series of linear movements. Another dancer entered cloaked in beautiful flowing fabric with extended arm poles to increase the movement of the gown. This costume looks like homage to Loie Fuller, one of the pioneers of Modern dance history. There were four episodes to this piece, clearly marked by blackouts. With each section the amount of dancers in flowing gowns increased as well as the variations of movements produced by the costumes. Initially symmetrical and in unison, the manipulation of the fabric grew in complexity, finishing with glorious spinning images like tulips or blown glass. Other images the piece seemed reminiscent of were traditional Korean dance as well as Turkish whirling dervishes. The only unnecessary element of the piece was the three blackouts, which seemed to confuse and disorient the audience.
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