Being a new student at Columbia College Chicago, the communities within this school are something I have found myself being curious about and active in finding. Having a background in dance, the community within the dance program is one that has piqued my interest particularly. From experience, the relationships within the dance community can lean towards two vast ends of the spectrum - one being the ideal closeness and supportiveness of one another and the other being a less inclusive and cohesive environment. While at the Mo(ve)ment Performance Showcase, hosted by the Dance Center on October 20th, the two communities that I was able to observe most clearly were the connections between the performers on stage and the connections between the audience and the dancers. Throughout the diverse and individualist performances, there was a variation in which interactions occurred on and off stage. From a mute and ballet-etiquette driven audience during the Joffrey Academy Contemporary Trainee Program’s performance of 1792 to a lack of barrier between the stage and viewers during Rhythms of West Africa, performed by Ayodele Drum and Dance, a large question began to formulate and eventually pose in my mind: In how many ways can dance manipulate the idea of community, both on and off stage?
The piece that delved into this topic most apparently was Be ’Bout It, choreographed by Daniel “BRAVEMONK” Haywood and Kelsa “K-Soul” Rieger-Haywood. Throughout this hip-hop dance, the dynamics and relations between those on stage and those watching was a large exploration, showing how a piece can be authentic and engaging with or without focus being given primarily towards audience. As I watched the a lack of beginning pose and instead continuous movement, it became clear that this would not be a “traditional” performance. At least in my mind, the “traditional” performance would be one whose main purpose is to solely entertain the audience, with body facing being directed towards the front of the stage. I have found that there are also notably less connections between the performers in this type of piece, and if there is, the energy is still being forced out into the audience, often losing the authenticity of relations between dancers. In a discussion with Kelsa K-Soul Rieger-Haywood and one of the dancers, Wyatt “Willard” Sutter, they emphasized how within this piece, they were performing for each other, not the audience, something they reminded each other of in each rehearsal. This goal of theirs was successful.
In the beginning, the movement was seemingly non-stop with fluid motions throughout the entire body. Improvisational moments filled the space with all performing with a lack of care towards the audience. While the phrase “lack of care” could portray a negative connotation, as an audience member myself, I felt no betrayal in the fact their attention and energy weren’t being focused on me. It was clear that this setting being created wasn’t a stage, but instead one you could see in everyday life, such as a street corner or a neighborhood. With hip hop not being a traditional stage style of dance, Kelsa described how it was their intentions to try to create an authentic space in which hip hop would appear while still having the piece taking place in the theater. It was crafted in a way that would balance putting hip hop on stage while still maintaining validity of the environment needed for the piece to make sense.
While the dance could be classified into the hip hop genre, the music was jazz sounding, something one would not expect from this type of dance. Especially in the first half, the music was soft, pleasant, and even reminded me of music you would hear in Charlie Brown cartoons, an elevator, restaurant, or a department store. The movement itself matched the tonality despite the natural juxtaposition that could occur between jazz music and hip-hop dance, and as the music became more energetic throughout the piece, the dancing matched this dynamic change as well. With the dancers interacting with each other solely in this first half, this music made it feel like a scene in everyday life. At times, the performers would interact with each other in gestures, and at one moment in particular, it looked as if two of the performers were having a genuine, full-on conversation with each other.
As the piece progressed, the lights becoming brighter and the music being more powerful, the dancing started becoming more unified between the performers and with the audience. There was less improv and instead became filled with more choreography which was directed and focused on the audience, compelling more participation from the viewers such as clapping and cheering. While at first during this dynamic change I did not find myself joining in as I was trying to remain critically focused on the performance, at a point, it felt disingenuous and morally wrong to not at least clap along, and so I dropped my pen and joined in. The dancers began to gesture towards the audience and even as they transitioned towards another improv section, this time the audience was even more invested and continued its participation. The performers formed a semi- circle, creating a space for each dancer to have their own moment to improv, leaving the other half of the circle open for us watching to be included. One of the dancers, Wyatt “Willard” Sutter, performed B Boy moves in his improv section which included windmills, enhancing the energy as it left everyone impressed. As the piece came to an end, just like in the beginning, the exit was casual as they walked off with a pedestrian like nature with the still lights on.
This piece was an exploration of community, one that touched how a performance can progress through the stages of pure performer interaction to an audible enthusiasm from audience to stage. When the dancers and audience had the largest connection, the most memorable aspects, at least in my opinion, could be found. While the sole purpose of dance should not only be to entertain the audience, having the balance of dancing for each other and oneself while still inviting the viewers to join is the formula which made Be ‘Bout It a more than a satisfying piece.
One could only be brushed with a sense of belonging after being a part of those watching not just this piece, but the Mo(ve)ment Performance Showcase as a whole, as it was a journey not just throughout different styles of dance, but an engagement unveiling the sundry ways of what a dance performance can look like and captivate those watching. And most notably, it unveiled a community in which I am avid in becoming a part of.
