BWW Reviews: ENTHUSIASTIC EVENTS, From Blog to Social Occasion

The Dance Enthusiast, a website devoted to the dance community, is attempting to liberate itself from the virtual world. Held downtown at the Gibney Dance Center, "Enthusiastic Events" attempts to create a sense of open discussion, so inherent to the internet and in the real world. The inaugural event, held last Wednesday, was formed under the topic of "Fashion & Dance." This theme was discussed via a panel of highly accomplished artists with Christine Jowers, the founder of The Dance Enthusiast, leading the discussion. While there's no doubting the talent and credentials of any voice during the event, the evening's form was ultimately too uncertain for its first iteration to stand with effective authority.

The din of conversation was well orchestrated with drinks and food by chef Rodney Brown. While I flipped through a displayed book on the evening's topic, the attendees that filled the event's dance studio socialized with ease. This communal portion transitioned to discussion as the audience sat before a presentation space. Three performances from The Martha Graham Dance Company were exhibited by Ying Xin, who open and closed this performance prologue with "Lamentations" and a solo from "Medea" and Lloyd Mayor and Mariya Dashkina Maddux, who performed a duet from "Appalachian Spring." While attending Martha Graham performances in such an otherwise casual environment isn't ideal and even surreal, the performers exhibited their talents with grace and integrity. I would have very much enjoyed their input in the discussion which followed.

Following the performance, seated in four chairs and with a useful projector screen behind them, Christine Jowers welcomed Janet Eilber, artistic director of Martha Graham Dance Company, Valerie Steele, director of the Museum at FIT and Reid Bartelme, a dance costumer to join her in the presentation space. The conversation fluctuated with some uncertainty between panel discussion and individual interviews. The discussion topics shifted from Martha Graham's costuming and the exhibition at FIT to the collaboration between choreographer, dancer, and costumer. While all on the panel certainly were worthy of opinion on these topics, the conversation's shape was improvised with little ease.

Qualities of uncertainty and imbalance can be expected and forgiven in this inaugural event. The transition from virtual engagement to direct discussion and audience inclusion is jarring. Come April, "Enthusiastic Events" will be shedding the dance studio for Gibney's more appropriate theatrical space and the nature of the event better understood. The underpinning ambitions for the event held strong with conversation flowing with the wine and the quality of the panel assembled unquestioned.

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