What happens when you string space, time, music and abstract movement together? You get, as Vladimir Angelov said, "the DNA of movement."
On Friday, "Worlds in Motion" conquered the Harold and Sylvia Greenberg Theatre. The event featured eight works from three different choreographers and included different media, narratives and age levels. The one-hour performance succeeded in setting the world of dance into motion.
Vladimir Angelov, artist-in-residence in the department of performing arts, had four pieces in the performance. Angelov graduated from the National Ballet School in Sofia, Bulgaria. He later completed a master's of arts degree at AU in 1996, where he joined the department of performing arts "Hall of Fame." His works have been shown in many festivals, including Choreographers on Pointe in New York, Vienna TanzFest in Austria and Paris International Dance Festival. He has also choreographed for various dance companies, including Atlanta Ballet, Washington Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Tokyo City Ballet, Kirov Ballet in St. Petersburg Russia and the Washington National Opera, where he regularly stages dances.
Angelov's first dance on Friday night's performance allowed a 13-year old student from the Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington, D.C., Constantine "Costa" Nikolas Allen, to showcase his grace, talent and innocence in a solo piece titled "First Flight." Allen had the stage all to himself except for one small paper airplane. This boys struggle with falling in love for the first time was displayed beautifully through Allen's high jumps, tight fifth position and high arabesques. His Russian training is obviously paying off.
"Run 4 It," Angelov's second piece in the show, featured exceptional dancing and unique choreography. Laura Allibone, Whitney Robinson, Leah Rothschild and Lora Ruttan's expert dancing definitely encompassed Angelov's vision of "fierce competition." Angelov saw this piece as an exploration into the world of running. He explored the morning jog and, by the end of the show, the competition that these women encountered in this realm of running left only Rothschild standing. The talent in this piece was incredible.
Angelov's next piece was an impressive display of discipline, balance and talent. The dancers, Kyra Green and Bruno Augusto, captivated the audience. The angel in this piece, Augusto, stored his wings in a suitcase. Angelov's vision for this piece was displayed beautifully by the dancers. The ability of the dancers and the choreography to keep the audience's attention was done so naturally and nonchalantly through the transitions from rigid and intense movements to more graceful and classical movements.
Angelov's last piece in this performance was a touching, award-winning dance film. The film incorporated dance as well as footage from the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11. 2001, combining two artistic mediums to portray the terrible events of Sept. 11 as a tear-jerking artistic exploration.
Lora Ruttan's piece "Things That Go Bump," was a unique journey into a more modern method. Ruttan, an adjunct dance faculty member, began her professional career with the Charleston Ballet Company in Charleston, W.Va. Her piece displayed a deep knowledge into different forms of body movement, and offered a unique perspective on "Worlds in Motion."
Rob Esposito also choreographed three pieces for this event. Esposito is assistant professor and director of AU's department of performing arts dance program and was the director of this event. His impressive bio includes 10 years as a principle soloist with the Nikolais Dance Theatre, cofounder and director of Fusion Foundation for Dance, Inc. and has had more than 60 works premiered internationally.
His first piece was titled "Tango for One." Solo dancer Allison Hoffmann used the choreography and the music to her advantage as she showed the audience that it doesn't always take two to tango. The other dancers Jackie Atrio, Virginia Broyles, Eleanor Holtz-Eakin, Minami Shimoda and Laura Vento all sported "Annie Hall" hats and male dress suits as they joined Hoffmann on stage for a unique interpretation and choreography on the traditional tango.
Esposito's second piece, "Die Another Day," featured a solo from Jackie Atrio that would have left Madonna impressed. Atrio single handedly captivated the stage with only the help from a chair. The choreography was untraditional, in a good way, to this genre of music and was a pleasant surprise.
Esposito's last piece, "The Ruby and the Pearl," was a great ending to the performance. The choreography was simple, but engaging, and graceful, but uniform. The dancers had nearly perfect timing, displayed great talent and a strong grasp of the choreography.
"Worlds in Motion" was a wonderful performance that the audience seemed to truly enjoy, and it is a shame that more people weren't there to see it. The energy from the dancers was transferred from the stage and into the auditorium. The enthusiasm of the audience was seen through the question and answer session following the performance, leaving one eager audience member to ask the dancers, "How do you do that?"
Dancer Whitney Robinson casually responded, "It's like walking"
