Alchemy Dance Company's "Rite of Passage"
by Robert L Robinson Jr on Sunday, April 17, 2011 at 10:46am
Last night at the Painted Bride, I saw the most amazing show, “The Rite of Passage.” It was my first time seeing the Alchemy Dance Company and until two weeks ago, I had never heard of them. But my friend FM Yates, who is on their board, recommended Jonathon Bowles as a composer on a transmedia project I am working on, so I was curious and anxious to reconnect with him.
Amy Harding's choreography and Jon Bowles music were complementarily daring and exciting to each other, a wondrous harmony of sight and sound. Neither was afraid to take any chances and provided a show that was stimulating on many levels. The dancers all accepted the challenge and really pushed themselves, giving the audience an experience where the visuals and the audio danced in perfect harmony with each other, one’s ying to the other’s yang so to speak.
The first act was the story of the first performance of Stravinsky’s masterpiece “The Rites of Spring.” We began in a theater with the patrons watching the performance when all bedlam breaks loose. Then a sole custodian cleans up the stage, removing the chairs where we find ourselves in a dark room. A single light appears and a beautiful dancer lies upon the ground.
And from that point forward, the magic happens. Dance that was reminiscent of Fosse in its ambition and execution, music that keep my head dancing in union with the performers, and dancers who’s every step was more graceful and skillful than the one that preceded it. A magical delight from a hidden treasure of a dance company, that deserves all to discover it, that touched confidently upon my imagination with each leap, turn and note.
The second act was called Sideshow. It was the story of a megalomaniac travelling carnival ring master and his dolls (the ladies of the dance company). The dancer was a B-Boy who could hip hop with the best of them, and the dancers, as I know now, being that they were Alchemy dancers, were superb! First in their doll costumes (which made me think a bit of Neil Gaiman, don’t ask why, as I don’t know) then in their angelic attire, they strutted and pirouetted across the stark stage with grace and flight normally reserved for the ballet.
Another marvel from last night were the costumes also designed by young Mr. Bowles. They sparkled when they had to, created fear when they needed to, and titillated most other times. The team of Amy and Jon are just hitting the ground and I for one think that they are on the right track. I plan to attend any performances that the Alchemy Dance Company puts on and encourages all my friends to do so also.
And if you are at the Painted Bride, when you walk out, turn right and stop in the first restaurant you find. The sign will read “Konak Restaurant & Bar.” Stop in and be prepared for a feast. The first thing that greets you is the friendliness of the staff. Then the music; Live Turkish music played to perfection by two gentlemen that sounded like a full band. I half expected Robert Plant to come out and belt out Kashmir (I know it isn’t Turkish, but the melodies they were playing were transporting me to magical lands). It was my first experience with Turkish food, and my first time with anything Turkish since my college days and that involved a pin and a match and a glass, but that is another story not to be retold, lol. Not knowing what to order, I did what I have made a habit of doing. I ask the wait staff to select my meal for me, something that best represents the restaurant and the nation. In the last three years of doing so, I have never had a bad meal, and last night was no exception. They treated me with a ground lamb dish (I hope Mary is not still looking for that little lamb, as he was delicious!) and a wine to go with it called Angora. Both were a marvelous compliment to the sights and sounds of the Alchemy Dance Company and the perfect dessert to a perfect night of the arts. But because they wanted to so impress us, they made a special dessert that while I have no idea what it was, I do know that it was like flakes of a cloud from Heaven on a plate that melted in my mouth.
Do yourselves a favor. Get on the mailing list for Alchemy Dance Company and dine at Konak. And tell them both, I sent you. You won’t be disappointed! I promise.