BWW Reviews: Melinda Sullivan's GONE

As someone who saw Melinda Sullivan's rise to fame on the Fox TV show, So You Think You Can Dance, I knew before the show even began at the Alvin Ailey Theater of Sullivan's outstanding talent. The house was full of fans and friends of Sullivan who were there to show their support, all buzzing with excitement before the show even began. A woman seated next to me wasted no time in striking up a conversation with me, raving about Sullivan's previous work. It was obvious that expectations were high, and Gone, choreographed by Sullivan, definitely did not disappoint.

Sullivan shined in this story of love, loss, and letting go. Gone was a storybook told through dance; a Broadway performance without words. With smooth transitions between scenes, I was seamlessly pulled into Sullivan's world of a home that was simultaneously living out the past and looking toward the future. Sullivan shined most fully in her tap solo "Something More," which put on display Sullivan's pure tap talent with her fast footwork, proving that she was completely at home in her leather-soled tap shoes.

Sullivan wrote in the program, "My mentors came from both worlds (Savion Glover and Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire). They taught me to become a musician with my feet. Tap will stay alive only when rules are broken." The duet in the show between Sullivan and Lindsay Fulton, who played the Granddaughter, was a perfect example of this, flawlessly combining tap and jazz/contemporary dance with both young women moving together, but Sullivan performing a tap version of the choreography and Fulton a contemporary version.

Veronica Mendonca was an absolute delight to watch as The Grandmother. She brought joy to the performance, and then easily transitioned into a beautiful and heartbreaking duet in the finale of the show, dancing from the seat of her chair, gliding her feet through the sand that lined the front of the stage before partnering with the ghost of her husband in a slow, romantic dance.

I would be completely remiss not to mention the two young gentlemen in the show, Derek Roland as Young Grandfather and Dennis Bendersky as the Boyfriend, who shared a wonderful duet together, "High Hopes," that told two different stories with the same steps. Roland easily conveyed his hopes for a fresh start in America with his curiosity and light feet, while Bendersky used his innocence and playful youth to show his hopes of marrying his girlfriend. Bendersky is one to keep an eye on- he's stronger than he looks. He easily supported his dance partner, Fulton, in the romantic and playful duet, "With Love," by raising Fulton in the air in a series of gravity-defying lifts, as if she didn't weight a single pound.

And while Sullivan was obviously the star of the show, it was the ensemble who tied this performance together. Each young lady brought something different and fresh to the stage but, when dancing in unison, overpowered the audience with their strong synchronicity, all-the-while maintaining their individual quirks- Bianca Revel was passionate and alluring, Stephanie Wolfe was cute as they come, Amber Dupuy was fun and energetic, and Tiffany Daniels was all sass.

Throughout the entire show, the audience could feel the suffering, anger and passion through the sharp movements, hunched bodies, hung heads, and fierce stomps. Each dancer was dedicated to telling the story with their face, body, heart and feet. My only complaint about Gone was that it was too short, at only 50 minutes. I could have watched this talented cast dance all night. Here's hoping the show goes on tour so more dance connoisseurs will be able to enjoy this ensemble's incredible talents.

To learn more about Melinda Sullivan and her Dance Project, go to www.melindasullivandanceproject.com. If you would like to donate, you can do so at www.pasadenaartscouncil.org/emerge/melinda-sullivan-dance-project. You can also see more of Sullivan on her YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/melindasully.

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