Artists Underfoot
It would be redundant to say there were artist’s underfoot during last Saturday evening’s Wynwood gallery walk if it weren’t for the fact that some of these artists donned spandex, tulle, and toe shoes – and some were under glass.
While paintings by Carlos Estevez at PanAmerican ArtProjects revealed the merging of science and art in human form a la Da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man and Wendy Wischer’s sculptures at David Castillo Gallery foretold a sparse beauty in the planet’s demise, a crop of Miami’s professional dancers, largely from Miami City Ballet, were taking a break from Balanchine and revealing their own creative yearnings.
At the end of a busy ensemble piece entitled “Warm-up,” four dancers lay on the floor beneath a piece of plexiglass where MCB dancer Elizabeth Keller perched, playing classical selections on the cello. This “dancers under glass” moment would make more of an impact as a performance installation, especially in a gallery or locale with lots of foot traffic. This dance piece required a more meaningful harmony (or discord) between dancers and cellist to be more than a visual oddity.
The heart of Artists Underfoot was a series of ambitious and well executed solos, beginning with freelance dancer Matthew Prescott. Working along a thin stream of light that shot across the floor toward a small wooden box, Prescott’s choreography and dancing were a study in the properties of a magnet. As if working against and toward a powerful force field, he inched his way toward the mysterious box. Prescott’s undulant, long lines, and powerful energy surges made for a captivating piece.
In a completely different register, Kyra Homeres danced at least half of her solo on her knees. Perhaps weighed down by classicism, she struggled to wrestle free from a baroque-style bodice and mounds of tulle and fabric. Mikhail Nikitine’s choreography gave frenetic form to her imprisonment and verve to her liberation when she finally stripped down to a purple leotard and sprung to her feet in a series of robust grand jetés and pirouettes.
MCB principal and the group’s most seasoned performer, Deanna Seay began in a rectangle of light, but she soon broke out of the box with dramatic force. Marc Spielberger’s choreography worked within the classical vocabulary and Seay’s pointe work, line, and timing were spot on. But style was what really distinguished Seay. Hand and arm flourishes, intense facial expressions, and deft manipulation of her costume infused Seay’s virtuosity with a compelling theatricality.
MCB’s Allynne Noelle fused dancing and finger painting into a seemingly effortless task. Here Spielberger’s choreography was more light-hearted and lyrical. The tempo was fast-paced and Noelle’s tight timing made for whimsy.
Ballet Florida’s impressive Tina Martin and an ensemble of Katie Gibson, Callie Manning, and Mikhail Nikitine ended the evening on a strong note in “The Final Walk” by Jerry Opdenaker who has choreographed for Ballet Florida and Ballet Gamonet.
While all the dancers in Artists Underfoot called upon their classical skills and training, the sense of experimentation and the desire to express honest emotions were palpable. Co-founders Seay and Nikitine plan to continue this experiment next fall. Part of their stated mission is to “connect isolated arts audiences of theater, music, dance, and visual arts . . .” If this group can tap into the energy and grab the attention of the gallery-going crowd, both the art and dance worlds will have something exciting to talk about.
While paintings by Carlos Estevez at PanAmerican ArtProjects revealed the merging of science and art in human form a la Da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man and Wendy Wischer’s sculptures at David Castillo Gallery foretold a sparse beauty in the planet’s demise, a crop of Miami’s professional dancers, largely from Miami City Ballet, were taking a break from Balanchine and revealing their own creative yearnings.
At the end of a busy ensemble piece entitled “Warm-up,” four dancers lay on the floor beneath a piece of plexiglass where MCB dancer Elizabeth Keller perched, playing classical selections on the cello. This “dancers under glass” moment would make more of an impact as a performance installation, especially in a gallery or locale with lots of foot traffic. This dance piece required a more meaningful harmony (or discord) between dancers and cellist to be more than a visual oddity.
The heart of Artists Underfoot was a series of ambitious and well executed solos, beginning with freelance dancer Matthew Prescott. Working along a thin stream of light that shot across the floor toward a small wooden box, Prescott’s choreography and dancing were a study in the properties of a magnet. As if working against and toward a powerful force field, he inched his way toward the mysterious box. Prescott’s undulant, long lines, and powerful energy surges made for a captivating piece.
In a completely different register, Kyra Homeres danced at least half of her solo on her knees. Perhaps weighed down by classicism, she struggled to wrestle free from a baroque-style bodice and mounds of tulle and fabric. Mikhail Nikitine’s choreography gave frenetic form to her imprisonment and verve to her liberation when she finally stripped down to a purple leotard and sprung to her feet in a series of robust grand jetés and pirouettes.
MCB principal and the group’s most seasoned performer, Deanna Seay began in a rectangle of light, but she soon broke out of the box with dramatic force. Marc Spielberger’s choreography worked within the classical vocabulary and Seay’s pointe work, line, and timing were spot on. But style was what really distinguished Seay. Hand and arm flourishes, intense facial expressions, and deft manipulation of her costume infused Seay’s virtuosity with a compelling theatricality.
MCB’s Allynne Noelle fused dancing and finger painting into a seemingly effortless task. Here Spielberger’s choreography was more light-hearted and lyrical. The tempo was fast-paced and Noelle’s tight timing made for whimsy.
Ballet Florida’s impressive Tina Martin and an ensemble of Katie Gibson, Callie Manning, and Mikhail Nikitine ended the evening on a strong note in “The Final Walk” by Jerry Opdenaker who has choreographed for Ballet Florida and Ballet Gamonet.
While all the dancers in Artists Underfoot called upon their classical skills and training, the sense of experimentation and the desire to express honest emotions were palpable. Co-founders Seay and Nikitine plan to continue this experiment next fall. Part of their stated mission is to “connect isolated arts audiences of theater, music, dance, and visual arts . . .” If this group can tap into the energy and grab the attention of the gallery-going crowd, both the art and dance worlds will have something exciting to talk about.