smf36: pop-up dance, part 2

"Hey, hey, dearie! Back already?"

Actually, I've been home for about 30 minutes. What a mesmerizing show! I'm so glad I was able to luck into "BalletCollective: Translation" at the Lucas!!!

"Most excellent! They were supposed to be here in 2020, until the pandemic caused that to be postponed. I know you had so wanted that, back in February when the volunteer shifts opened up, but it was all full. Good thing you kept checking!"

Most def! One of my favorite venues, too! Lainie was the house manager, but Therra was there, too. Also, I was with several volunteers I knew: chatty Lucy, Julie G, Annie, Carolyn that I just met! I even ended up as a mentor for Amy of Georgetown, a brand-new volunteer, to help settle her in.

"Very cool! Nice to be trusted with such a task!"

It was, really. I was on duty with Lucy as "Right House, Usher" when the new woman came in quite late. I do hope to see her at other venues. At least this was a slow gig, as there were less than 500 in the audience.

"Folks just don't get the ballet, do they? I'm so glad the Savannah Music Festival persists with inclusion of these shows, though. This was all new music, specifically commissioned for this dance troupe, so it definitely belonged in SMF36. What's with the photo?"

That's right after the first piece, "The World We Left Behind", written and performed by Phong Tran, seen on the bottom left. It was a futuristic piece, with a grid marked out on the stage and all the dancers clad in sparkly, silvery-glitter, costumes. Near the end, there was a definite 'ocean life' feel to the piece, with the troupe moving as jellyfish and other sea life! But that wasn't my favorite part, surprisingly.

"But that sounds right up your alley, directly in your wheelhouse..."

True, but my favorite bit was near the middle of the work. The artists were moving on the grid, each one staying directly on the taped lines on the floor. Then, a lone dancer entered and began moving diagonally, arms waving in the air as they went!!! Then came another, moving against the tide of dancers persisting in staying on the grid. I thought of it as "Dancing Outside The Lines" and loved every moment of it!!!

"I love that perspective!!! So, what's up with this second set of dancers? No sparkly, sequined suits for them!"

No, that's for sure. "Orange", composed by Caleb Burhans and performed live by the Manhattan Chamber Players, was more of a power struggle ballad. The highlight, for me, was the woman third from the right, with her legs hanging out. Gabrielle Lamb is a Savannah native and she choreographed the piece.

"So, you didn't care much for that one. It was too violent for you?"

It was. So, I'm glad it wasn't the last one. (smile!) That honor went to what I thought of as "Dancing Within The Matrix"! Actually titled "Translation", the piece composed by Julianna Barwick and performed by Eliza Bagg (bottom right of photo), this definitely had a science fiction vibe to it that was straight out of Neo's movie! Instead of green computer light, though, this was full of white-light scattered on the scrims as dots and dashes, with the dancers clad in black suits that made them almost blend into the background.

"Oh, I get it! Like the swimmers in the new PULSE exhibit!"

Exactly!!! Absolutely mesmerizing to watch! I found myself on the edge of my seat during the entire performance. I wish my camera had been able to capture the light display during the dance, but it was not. Still, it's in my mind's eye and my memory, so that's good!

"I'm so happy you were able to get this dance show... and the afternoon ballet, too! What an excellent combination those two shifts have turned out to be!"

Most def! i thank You, God!