Review: INSIDE MY WALLS at Ishida Dance

This weekend at the Asia Society in Houston, Ishida Dance Company is presenting a quartet of majestic offerings entitled Inside My Walls. We get to see four pieces, and included in the program is a world premiere of a work from Brett Ishida based on the writings of Haruki Murakami. This company deals in contemporary dance, but they do this with a strong sense of narrative that incorporates themes of magical realism. It has world-class dancers working with internationally renowned choreographers, and is one of the most stunning displays of the art form you are likely to witness here in Houston or… well… anywhere at all. I would describe this company as athletic masters of the dramatic flourish. Inside My Walls is a journey into a world of magical realism where art and technique meet storytelling bliss. 

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I am always at a loss for how to describe to someone just how cool and wonderful it is to go to an Ishida Dance company show, and opening night for this production left me just as speechless. I can tell you as a theater critic, rarely have I seen a group of dancers who know how to deliver a story so effectively and clearly to an audience. These artists have a flair for something that seeps with emotion, something you rarely see so well articulated in dance. I never tire of seeing what they come up with, and I always leave feeling moved and inspired. 

Ishida Dance is run by choreographer Brett Ishida, who is a Japanese American who grew up on a farm in California. She is not only an accomplished dancer in her own right, but she also holds a degree in poetry and literature, which explains quite a bit when you observe her work and her productions. For this run of shows, she also has two guest choreographers who provide pieces, Stephen Shropshire and Andonis Foniadakis. Their styles fit in seamlessly with Brett’s narrative commitments, and together the four works are staggering. 

First up is a revival of the Brett Ishida piece called When Shall We Three Meet Again. It is inspired by Shakespeare’s witchy opening scene in Macbeth, as well as an homage to three aunts of the creator. Renee Kester, Juliet Doherty, and Mimi Lamar create a trio of women who dance in tight unison, but also have their own distinct personalities. It presents a wow moment of seeing how dancers can execute the same moves, but make them distinct through a character. 

Horizons is the second part of the program, and it is the one choreographed by Andonis Foniadakis. It was explained as normally taking place in water, but it has been modified here in Houston to use powdery smoke that curls around the dancers as they move. It is an impressively aching duet piece set to original score by Julian Tarride. John Canfield & Georgia Greene danced this on opening night, and their fluid movements made you feel the water's inspiration. 

 Stephen Shropshire offers the audience the third scene, called Schubert Songs. It uses vocal pieces married with an exacting choreography, often made of simple hand movements to mimic pointillism in painting. This dance is executed by John Canfield, Juliet Doherty, Renee Kester, Mimi Lamar, and Reginald Turner, Jr.. Again, we have a dramatic push-pull of the dancers coming in and out of sync with each other, marrying a style and a dramatic question of how we come together and how we differ. They move from small gestures to huge sweeping group kick-lines throughout the piece in all sorts of configurations. Stephen is a fan of musical theater and the visual arts, and it soaks into his choreography. He constructs something unique and masterful. 

The final act of the night, and probably the emotional climax, is the world premiere of Brett Ishida’s Inside My Walls. It is inspired by the works of Haruki Murakami, a Japanese writer known for his use of magical realism and often themes of detachment contrasted with commitment. Brett’s work here is cinematic; it uses technical lighting cues to conjure up a sense of film editing throughout the piece. We fade in and out on a man who is haunted by a woman who comes out of his closet when he is not there, and one day they meet. Is this his reflection, a shadow self, someone living in his walls, his salvation, or something intangible that he is missing? On opening night, Daniel Domenech and Georgia Greene created a Lynchian dreamscape that was as athletically challenging as it was emotionally awe-inspiring. The way these two interacted with themselves, each other, and the set spoke to something primal and theatrical simultaneously. They weaved pure magic in the air, and you could almost hear jaws dropping as they moved through a set of flying papers. It is grotesque, gorgeous, and genius, all at once. Technique meets tragedy in a glorious waking dream. 

Inside My Walls is a rare chance to see why dance is so magical. The intimacy of the Asia Society’s theater allows you to see every extension, and often hear even the breaths that these performers take. If you have not witnessed this company, this weekend is your chance. The troop moves to Austin for June 19th and 20th after this run here in Houston. It’s a magical performance that you will not easily forget. I heard three women talking after the show, and one said to another, “After seeing this, we are all going anywhere you lead. This was amazing!” I certainly echo the sentiment for Brett Ishida and her company. I hope they return very soon. Houston needs them. 

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