Review: NO SPEAKING LEFT IN ME at ISHIDA DANCE At The MATCH

NO SPEAKING LEFT IN ME is a reference to a poem by Sappho as well as a cunning play on words for a dance performance. The latest showcase from ISHIDA DANCE will leave most audiences speechless with its effortless beauty and exquisite execution of modern dance as narrative. The evening is poetic, dramatic, moving, and wholly effective as a wonderful piece of art. Houston is known for many noteworthy dance companies and events, and ISHIDA DANCE joins that tradition of excellence. This performance consists of four pieces lasting each fifteen to twenty-five minutes in length. Each individual segment tells a complete story about relationships or emotional conundrums.

The first piece called "When Shall We Three Meet Again" takes its inspiration from three aunts related to Brett Ishida who choreographed the work. There is also a reference to the "three witches" from Shakespeare's Macbeth, and that becomes abundantly clear once we start to witness the dancers' movements. They are twitchy, serpentine, and move in spellbound unison throughout. It is a dazzling way to start the show.

The second chapter is called "Forget Me Not" choreographed by Stephanie Troyak and John Wannehag. It is a stunning study of two people in love, but not always going to places that you would expect. There is a magnetism between the two performers, and yet at times they push each other away. It is a duet of push and pull, and John Wannehag danced it beautifully at Friday night's performance with an equally gorgeous Claudia Ortiz Arraiza.

Third up in the lineup is "Doma" or rather "home". It also is a duet, but in contrast to the previous work one where two dancers stay radically in sync throughout in a more rhythmic presentation. It is choreographed by Jeremy Galdeano and Vera Kcarakova. Nathan Malaolandra and Caroline Perry pulled off an exhibit of amazing technicality on Friday night's performance.

Finally the entire ISHIDA company performs a work called "I Want to Hold, Darling" which is crafted by Brett Ishida. It calls into its vocabulary the idea that in the past people in Spain used to bury their dead in their homes, so it meditates on the idea of beloved ghosts guiding us after they pass. It was a breathtaking conclusion to the program showcasing the strength of all the dancers in the company.

Unfortunately ISHIDA DANCE's NO SPEAKING LEFT IN ME is only at the MATCH complex this weekend for Friday and Saturday night. It is a pity the company couldn't run these works longer, because word of mouth should be strong after this amazing showcase of modern contemporary dance. It is something that Houston needs, an outlet for more modern iterations of the art of movement in our cultural landscape. ISHIDA is considering setting up a residence here, and that would be an incredible boon to our art scene.