Evidence’s eclectic dance moves celebrate human life
The Evidence dance performance at Macky Auditorium Saturday night was a three-part celebration of human experiences.
Evidence is a dance company based in New York and led by choreographer and dancer Ronald K. Brown. The dancers tour about 15 cities in the U.S. each year, and they have also had performances in Cuba, Brazil, England, France, Greece, Hungary and Senegal.
The choreography of Evidence is interesting because it is a blend of African, modern, ballet and hip-hop dancing.
The performance at Macky Auditorium Saturday was broken into three parts. Each of the three dances was unique in costuming, lighting and style.
Starting with “Upside Down,” the performance began with an energetic, bright feel. The barefoot dancers filled the stage with their elaborate dancing and vibrant costumes. The movement in “Upside Down” was loose, flowing and extremely well-practiced. Movements that dancers practiced for hours looked effortless.
Lael Har, who attended the show, said, “The dancers had incredible energy. I loved the fluidity, and I loved how natural the choreography looked.”
The second part of the show was titled “Walking Out of the Dark.”
A voice told the audience, “Strength and love must speak to each other or stay buried in the dark.”
This part of the performance was much darker than “Upside Down.” Dancers wore plain, tan outfits. The movements were not as flowing, but were linear and harsh, dramatically shifting force and pace. At times, there was no music playing, but the dancers stomped their feet and used their breath as a beat.
At the finale of “Walking Out of the Dark,” sand rained down onto the stage, and colorful lights were flashed across it as it fell.
The final third of the performance was “Grace.” Dancers wore either white or red but by the end they were all wearing white. This dance was more of a mix of the first two dance pieces; many parts were bright and fun with an upbeat tune. Other parts were more serious, with more talking than music being played.
“I want people to have their spirits lifted,” Brown said. “I am interested in sharing perspectives through modern dance, theater and kinetic storytelling”
You can find out more about Evidence at their Web site: hppt://www.evidencedance.com/
