Walking into the ticket area for Free Fall: Student Performance Night audience members were immediately greeted by a somewhat odd scene, a giant head made from hands, arms, and bodies. This ginormous head, later explained to be named “Honcho” was seated (if a head can really take a seat) directly in front of the theater doors, staring blankly into the depths of the lobby and ticket area. Unwavering guests, students, and faculty began to fill the space, waiting eagerly to take their seats inside the theater. Now I was not a guest nor a piece of Honcho, but something different entirely, granting me a unique view of the situation. I was a part of the work that Honcho was displaying, Scattered Pieces by Ash Williams. This piece was comprised of five, short length works that were, as the title suggests, scattered throughout the duration of the show.
This one in particular was opening the show and began well before the show officially started, adding a sense of the infinite to the work, causing audience to question if they were interrupting the work, or if it will be continuing indefinitely, and their role as an observer was only meant to be temporary. This head eventually blew open to reveal the house ready to be filled by the eager patrons of the Dance Center; however its Scattered Pieces seemed to infiltrate the seats, as bits of nose, eyes, and ears were found staring down audience members, chilling on the stairways, or even napping onstage. Ultimately, these bits of Honcho joined up once more to enact the remainder of the work, alongside giving a rousing speech regarding the rules of the house.
The four remaining works of Scattered Pieces by Ash Williams were as follows: An energetic bout of wild movement from the nine-dancer cast entitled “Rat Piece;” a pair of mirrored, yet equally intimate, duets named “Peace/Piece of Home;” a regimented, but whimsical nine-dancer group work called “Dance - Dance Piece” featuring rainbow glowing teeth and an ode to various movement vocabularies; and the finale being referred to as “UnFinished Puzzle,” which was a solo by the student choreographer, Ash Williams, that was both boundlessly energetic and heartbreakingly brief. These various mini works appeared between other student works throughout the show, often as a jarring juxtaposition to the previous pieces.
Following the opening Head Piece, on the matinee only, was a work by Faculty choreographer Bevara Anderson, created as part of an afterschool program with a group of high school-aged students from various Chicago schools. Entitled Remember these Rhythms, this fusion of Umfundalai and House movement was a force to be reckoned with. These pre-professional dancers came into the space with unyielding energy and a clear drive to prove themselves on par with the collegiate level dancers that would follow. Their clear execution of groove, technique, and performance quality was enchanting, pulling the audience further in with every move. Though the piece inevitably had to come to a close, seeing the pure talent and hard work of those dancers was magical, and hopefully their work as dancers in the Chicago community will be brought back to the Dance Center stage soon.
Imminently following was The power she carried crafted by Courtney Cooper and Adrean Maxwell. A stunning cast of eight dancers who demonstrated extraordinary technique and performance quality that left the audience without words. These two student choreographers, both quite familiar with putting work onto the Dance Center stage, showed clear mastery of their craft in this fusion of classic Modern and African Diasporic movement. Though I admit, as a student performer in this show I only got to see a portion of this piece momentarily during dress rehearsal, it evocative power has stuck with me since, and that sense of raw, unbridled power that the performers carried with skill and precision was more than enough to set this piece apart.
Objective Ambivalence was a new style of work on the Dance Center stage crafted and performed by first year, Caden Dardy. This work utilized two unique props, Silk Veil Fans. These flowed through the air like a beautiful current, emphasizing and illuminating Caden's movement as they emblazoned the stage with an awe-inspiring contemporary solo. As the solo went on, these silken fans seemed to almost take over Caden in a moment of theatric storytelling, until they ultimately discarded them in a show of strength, resilience, and growth. While I only ever got to see bits and pieces of this work, being in the immediately following Rat Piece by Ash Williams, I was always so enchanted with the grace and elegance that Caden handled the silken veil fans with. This technique, clearly built out of a dedicated personal practice, was not only impressive, but inspiring.
Following the Rat Piece interlude, Its Innocent choreographed and performed by Amanda Baity and Jimmy Wirt was a beautifully tragic piece, telling a clear story of love, toxicity, and codependence. While the piece began as a viewing into the lives of a couple who appeared to have a loving, caring relationship dynamic, it quickly devolved into dueling viewpoints of avoidant and dependent attachment styles. One dancer began to crave a constant sense of connection, as the other brushed them off repeatedly, occasionally leaving the site of the duet altogether to go elsewhere onstage. This constant chase led to a point of destabilization where the two ultimately chose to either reconcile and accept each other's differences, or to continue this front of a happy, healthy dynamic. This work was a masterclass in storytelling through movement and spatial choices. There was a clear development of theme and character, without sacrifice to the work’s contemporary technique vocabulary.
In a jarring contrast, Friday Night Lights by Emond Billings and Ashley Poole was an explosive work of sheer athleticism and performance. This Majorette piece was the first of its kind to grace the Dance Center stage, at least in my tenure at Columbia, and set expectations astronomically high for what's to come. Not only was this piece electric, but it also pushed the envelope of what styles can be performed on a proscenium-type stage, and how a performance space should be utilized, as dancers went in and out of the audience, onto the stairways, demanding the audience to keep up with them. This decolonization of dance spaces is what shows like Free Fall at the Columbia College Dance Center are all about. I look forward to seeing what these powerful dancers, artists, and creators have for the stage in the future.
As intermission fades and the Peace/Piece of Home duet comes to a close, I am scrambling to procure my light up mouthguard, as matg. a solo work created and performed by Justice “Nasii” Nasir begins to unfold. This introspective solo work explores a sense of accomplishment as it battles the internal struggles of the performer. This was filtered through a lens of Hip Hop and Street Dances movement aesthetics that took over the stage in a display of vulnerability and musicality. While I was often only catching glimpses of this work as it was going on, its impact could be felt throughout the audience, as its finality was met with thunderous applause.
After completing Dance – Dance Piece I took my final bow with a light up smile, headed off the stage for the final time that evening. As I stepped off, Echo by Zarea Alston began. Unfortunately, I never got to see this piece in its entirety due to daily mouthguard complications. However, its impact on the audience was clear. From a collection of peer statements, audience whispers, and small moments of passing between the choreographer and myself, this Modern-Contemporary duet piece was a display of power, strength, flawless technique, and sheer creative brilliance akin to works by Kyle Abraham. While I may be haunted by the fact I could not see such a powerful piece live, by word of mouth alone I know it had such a powerful impact that those who got the chance to witness its brilliance will forever have that impression on their psyche.
As this duet finishes and UnFinished Puzzle also comes to a close; the show's finale piece takes the stage. A large-scale group work put on by the Renegades Hip Hop Dance Team with nearly 20 performers onstage. This work, created by Nailah Brown and Ky Bedford and entitled Unfiltered was an ecstatic display of classic Street Dance vocabulary combined with Hip Hop and Social Dance themes. These dancers took the audience on a journey through several quick changes and a variety of sub-genres within the Hip Hop and Street Dance diaspora; it was truly a sight to behold. This work set the audience ablaze as the energy and power of this work exploded out, ending the show on a note of community, connection, and celebration.
Dev Saxman (They/Them) is a Contemporary choreographer and dancer in their final year at Columbia College Chicago as a BFA Dance major. Coming from southwest Florida, and later western Massachusetts, They have studied Dance and Choreography for nine years with a focus in Modern, Contemporary, West African, and Hip Hop, with minor studies in Flamenco, Afro-Modern, and Pointe. From this, they have begun to develop a specific vocabulary of movement based on the somatics of grief and loss. These “Somatic Grieving Techniques" are being actively developed into a specific style of structured Improvisation and meditation.
