Philadelphia Area Teens Storm the Philly Fringe
It is the final rehearsal before their fringe performance and there is a feeling of anxious anticipation and electricity that buzzes through a theater as the lights dim, and a dozen dancers, ages fifteen to nineteen, take their marks for the first number.
(PRWEB) September 13, 2006 -- It is the final rehearsal before performance and there is a feeling of anxious anticipation and electricity that buzzes through a theater as the lights dim, and a dozen dancers, ages fifteen to nineteen, take their marks for the first number.
And then a thunderous roar, as pulsing hip-hop beats take hold of that energy and the dancers begin to defy gravity, time and space in the run through of the Philadelphia premiere “To A Different Beat”, which will open to the public on Saturday, September 16th at the Philadelphia Cathedral, 3723 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia.
The youth company, Music & Motion Dance returns to the Fringe for its third year and runs fully charged for an unforgettable sixty-minute performance that continues to grow in fervor and stylistic diversity. This years new dance work explores a cultural fusion of expressive rhythm and dance set to modern global music.
The musical selection offers a wonderful program with electronically infused rhythms from each of the continents – Africa, Asia, Australia, and North America. The ingenuity of this dance work is its wonderful interpretive ability, which allows one to create movement with great visual detail. The choreographers – which by the way are the dancers themselves - present an introspective interpretation of a varied cultural program showing us the commonality that joins us all in “the beat”. One of the highlights is an original vocal piece, “I Believe” delivered impeccably by Maria Grinneby with a wonderful interpretive dance by Kristen Konski, that leaves one simply craving for more.
Occasionally, a critic has assailed this dance troupe for sacrificing technique, but what makes Music & Motion popular with its audiences is its ability to incorporate all skill levels and deliver colorful, dramatic, and at times whimsical pieces that allows everyone to share in this groups love and enthusiasm for dance.
This notable uniqueness is clearly evident in a number entitled The Beat Within, which combines jazz and hip-hop styles in beautifully synchronized movement that oozes infectious energy while offering up shear crowd pleasing warmth.
Bhangra Fever, mixes popular hip-hop beats with classical Indian movement to deliver a cultural blend of whirling motion and color; while Tabala Beat is a capricious and eccentric piece featuring Melissa Martin, Andrea Piovane and Noelle Tolbert that shows us underlying humor and camaraderie in a shared beat. In Longing, we are presented with a mixture of story and beautiful, physical movement … a perfect balance.
This is perhaps not your avant-garde Fringe performance, but Music & Motion’s To A Different Beat offers a very genuine, high-energy performance that is just plain fun and well worth the $10 admission price.
Catch Music & Motion Dance on September 16th at the Philadelphia Cathedral, 3723 Chestnut Street. There will be three performances at 2 p.m., 4 p.m., and 7:30 p.m. For additional information and tickets - on line at www.music-and-motion.com or by calling 610-394-9182; or through the Fringe box office.
The Philadelphia Live Arts Festival and Philly Fringe brings each year sixteen days of performing arts events beginning on the Labor Day holiday weekend - this year from September 1-16, 2006. Featured are selected cutting-edge, boundary-breaking performing arts events, created by some of the most renowned contemporary artists from our region and around the world. The Philly Fringe provides an opportunity to create a unique energy for making and seeing art in the city. More info... www.pafringe.com
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