This year’s Locally Grown Dance was advertised as an “expression” with the purpose of showing the students’ and directors’ commitment to create and persevere with the challenges and obstacles brought by the pandemic. It was a wonderful presentation displaying the culmination of the hard work and the artistic expression of everyone involved. This event ran for four nights from March 9th until March 12th; it was sponsored by Cornell’s Department of Performing and Media Arts.
I had the opportunity to attend the show on the second night. After picking up my ticket (a PMA sticker), I made my way into the dimly lit theater. It was decently packed— I could only imagine how much the turnout was during opening night! After making my way down the compact aisle and finding a seat, I eagerly began to wait for the show to start. Before the show started, much to my dismay, an announcement stated that no photography and/or videos were allowed during the performances. Darn it! However, it was an understandable request. I quickly took a picture of my ticket before the show started:
And with that, the light in the ill-lit theater gradually faded until the theater was completely shrouded in darkness. This indicated that the show was about to begin.
Events
1st Event - Bach Solo Cello Suite #1
The first piece featured the ballerina-esque dancers gracefully moving to the Bach Solo Cello Suite #1 composition. The dancers all looked elegant. They all wore their hair in a neat bun and were adorned with beautiful long-skirt tutus and covered in mostly black. Throughout their performance, the ballerinas were in sync. Each of their movements was carefully thought out— it definitely showed! For example, the ballerinas effortlessly portrayed the calm tone of the music with their refined dancing. At the same time, the composition complemented each spin, hop, and slide the dancers made. Overall, the elegant performance was enjoyable and something I am glad to have experienced.
2nd Event - Event Horizon
The next piece, “Event Horizon,” was personally my favorite part of the performance. Many of the compositions such as Oo Nu Dah and Imgs /r sounded out of this world— literally. I liked the vibe from the musical pieces and how the dancers moved to the rhythm. I specifically enjoyed the dreaminess of the music and how the dancers’ bodies seemed to follow the music naturally. Just by looking at the performance, I could definitely see the immense passion and brimming talent among the dancers; this was clear due to the advanced and cautious steps taken by each of the performers. I also really enjoyed the costumes that the dancers were wearing. In the first section of this performance, the dancers were dressed in an all-black getup which contrasted nicely with the orange-lit background on the stage. During the next part of the performance, the performers were dancing to “techno” music and were adorned with bright neon outfits in front of a purple-lit background. The performance and costumes were beyond wonderful!
3rd Event - Belucid
The penultimate performance was often lit by a green background, with images of flowers appearing intermittently throughout the act. The performers were also wearing outfits with diverse patterns and different combinations of green. Out of all four of the events, this one was the calmest and most peaceful— it juxtaposed the previous energetic and animated performance. The ebb and flow of the movements of the dancers were fast but careful. I particularly enjoyed the overall green/environmental aesthetic of the act.
4th Event -Goldberg Variations
Finally, the last performance was an exciting way to end the night. The previous acts had pre-recorded music sets made for each performance. However, for this one, it was a live musical performance. A pianist was playing Goldberg Variations by J.S. Bach. The pianist looked classically trained: he wore a fitted suit, sat on the edge of the bench, his back was straight, and his arms were relaxed straight in front of him. In my opinion, he displayed masterful technique which was undoubtedly due to hours of dedication and immense talent. The music itself was a faithful rendition of the classical piece by J.S. Bach; the melody sounded calm but purposeful. As he played the piano, the dancers came onto the stage. They had various different formations and complimented the pianist’s playing. One noticeable one was when the dancers formed a “triangle” formation. The lead on top did a move matching the music’s melody while the dancers behind her gracefully one-by-one mimicked her movement. It was an engaging performance that ended the night on the right note.
Miscellaneous - The Ambience
I wanted to bring attention to the lighting technicians during the performances. Every performance used different lighting styles that fit the aesthetic and/or tone of the specific performance; for example, in the specific Belucid performance, I remember the lighting being green at times in order to match the dancers’ outfits. The lighting made me feel as if the dancers were in a serene forest. The technicians were able to add more life within each performance. The costume designers did a great job as well. You could tell that each costume aligned with the theme/aesthetic of the performance. Also, the costumes looked amazing on the artists! I believe that the efforts of these two groups should be recognized as well.
Final Thoughts
Attending the Locally Grown Dance was a nice break in this somewhat tumultuous semester. Although during that specific week things began to pile up for me, it was relaxing to step away from my academic responsibilities for a bit to destress. I am also glad that this performance gave me the opportunity to discover more creatives within the Ithaca/Cornell community. Overall it was an amazing experience! I am kinda bummed out I will miss it next year due to graduating— I highly recommend Cornellians to check it out!