For any choreographer to self-produce a concert is a huge undertaking.  There are so many choices an individual has to make to present their work, which is so often a personal presentation.  Jenna Gandenberger, a senior dance major of Orange’s Chapman University, presented an evening of dance at the campus’ Waltmar Theatre on February 13, 2010 to a large mixed audience of peers, family, and academic mentors.

Known by most as being a light hearted individual, the overall tone of Gandenberger’s work is dark filled with oversexed and under medicated characters.  The nine dances presented by the choreographer flip flopped between having either sexual or psychological overtones.  With music choices being dramatic and large filled with string orchestrations, one couldn’t help but feel as if watching a dramatic film unfold without words, like a silent film.

The most light-hearted and contemporary themed piece of the evening, “But I want it.” opened the concert.  Dancers clad in the ever-popular black booty shorts with colorful hoodies on top flung themselves and their limbs with no abandon.  The work loosely played with the theme of the ever changing wants and minds of a young generation as they rough housed their way through the space.  Ending with dancers dragging one another off stage right, this was the first of many works of the evening that ended abruptly.

“Sirens” followed the opener and was the first sexy romp of the evening.  Women clad in pastel tunics blithely moved through space seducing the audience as they peered into a day in the life of these mythical creatures.  The experimentation of using lower levels of space to loco mote and dramatically fall was evident, but stagnant at times.  As the sirens catch on to the audience viewing them, they stop their moving to glance right back at the audience in a statuesque pose center stage, which ends the work

Continuing the old world theme, “Dr. Alter – Mr. Ego” jumps forward a few years and shows a mid nineteenth century relationship between a man and his other persona.  The dark and sinister male duet opens strongly with the taller Dr. Alter facing downstage back to back with the shorter Mr. Ego who peers over his shoulder to surprise the audience.  The shadow projected fight for control ends with the doctor taking back power.  Mr. Ego, performed by Michael Perez gave a strong, yet scary performance.  He made several choices about his character and explored them to the audiences’ fearful delight.

Following the male duet was a work that stood out for having the most movement exploration and variation on a theme by Gandenberger.  Three sets of statues, one soloist center stage, duet stage right, and trio stage left came to life to tell the story of who they were prior to being etched in stone for eternity.  Although the solo had unnecessary sensuality, the work built nicely as the dancers moved in their defined spaces in the garden-like atmosphere.  As the piece rose to a pentacle of interaction between the three sets of statues, it ended without warning.  Gandenberger probably rushed for time, since she created most of the work in a few months time, neglected to notice the odd arc of the piece.

In sharp contrast to the rushed decisions of Gandenberger, guest collaborative choreographers, Jenna Keiper and Gracie Whyte, also senior dancers at Chapman University presented “The Psychological Methods of Perception.”  Although ambitious, with ten dancers, a small ensemble of seven singers, and a live violinist, “…Perception” stood out as one of the best student choreographed pieces I have seen.  The attention and care to the detailed and quirky movement by the dancers and choreographers joined with the anticipation in the walking patterns and sitting on the front of the stage between and during sections by the dancers and singers made for a visually stimulating and engaging work.  The only problem were the costumes, which left the shirtless male dancers uncomfortably exposed compared to the long sleeve adorned female dancers.  A little less costume for the women would have been nice in the last ensemble section, which was done with backs to the audience.  The subdued lighting highlighted the movements of the backs and arms of the dancers as they breathed, lifted elbows, and used small hand gestures.  Being able to see the muscle articulation in the male dancers was nice, but was lost through the fabric of the women’s costumes.

Following intermission remained five more works by Gandenberger.  “An Abyss of Displaced Souls” used a black wall from stage right to stage left in a commentary about being in limbo.  Stuck on this wall, the movement vocabulary slowly showed some movement exploration that required the dancers to have contact with the wall at all times.

The psychological and dark overtones of the evening were most apparent in “The Whitechapel Murders: a preface to Jack the Ripper,” a preview to a new work being choreographed for the Chapman University Spring Dance Concert and “Folie du Cirque,” which closed the concert.  In the piece about Jack the Ripper, what one would expect to see when thinking about Jack the Ripper was displayed on stage through movement and staging. Yes, prostitutes and a psycho-path sleeping with and killing them is what happened, don’t worry, you remember the story correctly.

Before the audience favorite “Folie du Cirque” there were two dances, “Rhapsody in Blues” and “Unfamiliar Intimacy.”  Both seemed to be after thoughts.  Using blues music and girls in generic white tops, the dance was reminiscent of an attempt by strict competitive dancers to do something different.  All of the legs, body rolls, hair flicks, and aimless walking were there, but attempted to be hid by the concert dance setting.  Also somewhat resembling a competition dance, the duet “Unfamiliar Intimacy” seemed like one of those duets you have seen before, not unfamiliar at all.  However, the gobo on the back pyscolarama and costumes for the couple were very fresh looking.

“Folie du Cirque” which was premiered last spring at the Chapman University Spring Dance Concert quickly became a favorite and a calling card for Gandenberger’s work.  The piece, entertaining with compelling performances used a simple theme, the circus, to show a commentary about mans need to control and maintain outward appearances.  This work is engaging from start to finish and was the perfect way to end the evening.

Graduating in the Spring, Gandenberger has plans to pursue her own performance and choreography career.  From the turn out of her concert she has a wealth of support to move confidently forward.

Photos taken by kai Saul

Orange County’s own, The Wooden Floor, challenged audiences to open both their minds and hearts in a sold out weekend engagement at the REDCAT theatre (Roy and Edna Disney Cal Arts Theatre) in downtown Los Angeles.  The three works presented by Mark Haim, Melanie Ríos Glaser, and Nami Yamamoto, in that order, showcased the seventy-three underprivileged youth’s strong dancing chops.  In an emotional and probing program, viewers were shown various aspects of the dancers personalities, experiences, technique, and most importantly youthful spirit.

The unique spirit The Wooden Floor’s dancers and supporters carry with them is highly infectious.  The second you enter the performance venue, the space is buzzing with hope and anticipation for these children baring their souls through the expression of dance.  Dancing that was full, full of clarity of movement, intention, and honesty by every single performer that entered the stage gave the audience the opportunity to laugh and cry without abandon.

With performers ages ranging from eight to nineteen you expect to see the typical studio or school dance program.  The type of a program you only watch because the kids are so cute, and they look so painfully adorable trying to remember their steps in time with the music.  The Wooden Floor is far from that and gives you a swift kick in the butt and demands your full attention within the first few minutes of the concert; which opened with the piece Los Angelitos by international choreographer Mark Haim.  Haim’s restaging of the beautiful creation, which premiered in 2002, was the most complex piece of the evening.  The opening female solo center stage was so maturely performed and clearly executed.  As the piece built, each dancer that entered the stage was so engaging it was difficult to view the work as a whole instead of in parts.  The mixture of typical dance lines with isolations of the head and torso gave the piece a unique movement vocabulary.  This was showcased well when the dancers divided into three groups repeated isolation movement phrases that seamlessly transitioned into a male female duet center stage.  Images of isolation and finding a group dynamic to overcome were prevalent in the work, which resonates with The Wooden Floor’s mission.  The technical dancers of the program were showcased in this work and filled the space as the piece built to an emotional section where the dancers whirled and soared across the stage.  As the piece came to a close all of the dancers were on stage with their arms held high above their heads in a high “V”, ready to take flight.

Following Los Angelitos was director Melanie Ríos Glaser’s True or False: I Was Born in the Netherlands, which gave the audience the opportunity to see the lighter side of the Wooden Floor.  A side filled with pop songs, inside jokes, random conversations, and fun facts that challenged the audience to evaluate their own perceptions about the children on stage in front of them.  Without fear the dancers invited you into a day in their shoes.  We were reminded what it was like to have a sugar high, rock out to our favorite songs in front of the mirror, talk about our hopes and dreams, and to spend time with others without any hidden agenda.  Wearing a hodge-podge of colorful and individualistic costumes it was refreshing to see people dancing, not dancers trying to be people.

Flying with My Shooting Stars by Nami Yamamoto was the least accessible piece of the evening and it must have been a difficult decision to change the program to make it the closing remark.  The somewhat somber work featured a marionette style puppet handled by puppeteer Lindsay Abromaitis-Smith made out of a mix of found objects.  The dancers could only do so much with the little movement they were given.  Walking and running patterns accompanied with dragging dancers across the stage repetitively may have been the safe choice when working with these dancers.  It is obvious The Wooden Floor dancers, although not your typical dance body type or bag full of tricks dancer, could handle more movement than walking and standing with purpose.  The section, which included a duet between the creepy yet likeable puppet and female dancer, was the most thoughtful section of the work.  Regardless, seeing these dancers stand on stage is a nice treat because they are all such beautiful creatures to take in.

The Wooden Floor challenged the audience at their REDCAT engagement by simply being themselves and letting that shine brightly.  Not many organizations have that power and it is a true gift to be able to watch the wise beyond their years youth bare it all for you through movement.  The wall was brought down for this performance and the audience was able to get to know the performers on stage.  The tears, laugher, and final standing ovation were all well deserved by this remarkable group of young people.

For more information about The Wooden Floor check out our review about their REDCAT performance from December and their website, www.thewoodenfloor.org, for upcoming performances in Orange County.

With a handful of audience members sitting onstage adding to the ambience of the simple set, a small band which included a synth-keyboard (that was played to perfection), a cast of performers taking on two to four characters, 80s pop references that make your head spin, a lead with long flowing blonde locks that is not afraid to use them, a pair of tiny cut off denim shorts worn by the male lead, and way too many awkward battements, fan-kicks, arabesques, and “Toyota” jumps (all the official dance moves of the 80s) to count paired with a good sense of humor and an imagination really leaves me with no room to write anything ill about Xanadu The Musical now at OCPAC Dec. 15-27^th.

I just want you to close your eyes and imagine all things previously listed.  Yes, it is that ridiculous and yes it is that amazing.  Sadly I neglected to mention the roller-skating and the plethora of accents that are so bad they are endearing.  So, if you couldn’t get a clear picture of the surprise hit musical, now you can.

This clear picture you have made for yourself is still probably not as great as the experience you will have watching this show.  Xanadu is not a big show stopping musical, it’s an experience that breaks the fourth wall in the first few seconds and continues to keep you smiling and tapping your toes the whole intermission-less show.

As a big fan of the cinematic genius of the 80s, including the blockbuster film Xanadu, for which the much better musical was loosely based on, it is so easy to fall in love with the portrayal of the character Clio or later renamed Kira performed by Elizabeth Stanley.  Stanley’s loveable muse character that becomes the object of the vacuous Sonny’s affection, excellently played by Max Von Essen, goes through 3 accents, a pair of roller skates, and so much drama you are reminded of the not so subtleties of the 80s onscreen heroine.

The small cast takes on each of their roles with so much energy and vigor you are drawn to each of them.  Luckily each of the hard working cast has a few characters so that you can keep your eye on the same dynamic performers throughout the show.

This is the only time the national tour of Xanadu is performing in Southern California so make sure you don’t let this great show whirl right past you.

The wonderful performers in Xanadu The Musical can be seen at the Orange County Performing Arts Center’s Segerstrom Hall December 15-27, 2009 with show times Tuesday-Friday at 7:30PM, Saturdays at 2 and 7:30PM, and Sundays at 1 and 6:30PM. Tickets start at $20.  Check out www.ocpac.org for additional information and call 714.556.2787 for more information as well.

Photos taken by Carol Rosegg

Orange County’s unofficial resident dance company, Backhausdance, is setting its sights on performing at the Joyce SoHo Theater in New York City. As the company embarks on its seventh year this upcoming spring, they are attempting to grow into the large foot print they have left for themselves in the dance community.  Although the company and artistic director Jennifer Backhaus have performed at most of the top venues in Southern California and received countless awards for their high quality and evocative work, the company still struggles to fund its operation and programming.  Executive director Jeremy Hunt was gracious enough to give us a more in depth look at the inner workings of the company, its future goals, and recent fundraising efforts with the Kickstarter Websitefor the upcoming New York City engagement.

Napoleon Gladney: What is your role within BD? How long have you been involved with BD?

Jeremy Hunt: I’m the Executive Director. That’s been my official role with the company since  July of this year. I’ve been a friend and collaborator of Jenny for the past 4 years doing most of their marketing and design materials as well as collaborating on visual elements for performances.

NG: Why do you work with a dance company, specifically BD?

JH: I kind of stumbled into it. I started dating a dancer who joined BD about 4 years ago. I was interested in her and so started going to all of the shows she was in and found that I really enjoyed modern dance. When she joined BD I was blown away by Jennifer Backhaus’ work. It really put my brain in creative place that I don’t go to normally. I saw that they needed help with their design work and offered to help out.

NG: Why is the company important to the community?

JH: I really believe in the old saying that you can judge the culture based on it’s art. Art and science are what seem to pass the test of time. I think art in general, and engaging art like performance art is really important to people. I think it’s a vastly underestimated way of exercising your brain that can have positive impacts in every way that you think and learn. As for BD specifically I think we’re a much needed art outlet in the Orange County community. When you think of concert dance people normally think of New York or San Francisco but there are some amazing dancers that come up here and study at local studios and Universities (our dancers being many of them) and end up leaving because most of the opportunities are in other places. Keeping some of that talent local is something we’re constantly trying to do. Orange County has some great art venues and programs. We want to be thought of in the same way when people think of The Pacific Symphony for music or South Coast Repertory for theater.

NG: How does the local community receive and support the company?

JH: I took “support” as two types of support. Viewership and financial. We’ve had good viewership support but I think it could be much better. I think a lot of that is trying to re-educate people about concert dance and modern/contemporary specifically. When most people think of concert dance they think either classical ballet or modern as in “I’m a tree and I’m going to roll on the ground for no reason.” They haven’t been exposed to what it can be. That’s why I love Jenny’s work. I think she doesn’t compromise on her artistic integrity but at the same time there is a quality to it that is accessible. A lot of people walk out knowing they liked it but not really why. I think that will come from more exposure. People can talk about films because they watch them all the time. The same can be true about more abstract art forms. As for financial support it’s been very tough. Especially lately. Before I came on board as Exec Dir I recognized a potential problem with BD and have since confirmed it. We look like an extremely well funded arts organization, but the truth is we make a lot with very  little. We put on world class productions. Our dancers are beautiful and talented with all of them having a degree in dance from a major university. They train dozens of hours every week and most have been doing that since they were very young. Our costumes are on par with what you would see at any production anywhere in the world. We perform at amazing theaters with the best production we can get. The result is that we look way bigger than we are. I wouldn’t change it but we have to get the word out that our dancers rehearse for free 12-15 hours a week, and Jenny and I are basically volunteers who donate dozens of hours a month to produce all of this stuff. We want to pay our dancers more, we want Jenny to be on salary and heck…i’d take a little for my time if the funds were there. Like I said, we produce a lot for very little. I can only imagine what BD would be like if we had a bigger budget

NG: Why is performing at the Joyce SoHo such a great opportunity?

JH: New York is the big leagues. If you want to be considered on a national level you have to perform in New York. So getting to perform there is a great opportunity. Couple that with the fact that we were invited by Joyce SoHo and it really notches it up. It really adds to what we are accomplishing as a company both on a national level as well as locally.

NG: Why does the company need to fundraise to perform?

JH: I’m fond of Jenny’s phrase, “Concert dance ain’t cheap.” What we do is very expensive and even when we are making money from an event it’s often not enough to cover all of our costs. The New York gig is a great example. We have to fly about 15 people from So Cal to NYC and cover all the expenses while there including paying our dancers and crew. To just cover our expenses we’d have to charge about $200 a ticket which is not practical. But for this show we’re looking at is as an investment because of the opportunities it could bring. So, to make up the difference we humbly hold out the hat.

NG: How is the company fundraising?

JH: We’re really trying to offer something for everyone. We’re a 501(3)(c) non-profit organization so donations to BD are tax deductible. We have some generous supporters who believe in what we are doing and support us with monetary gifts. We’re having an online silent auction and have a bunch of great items so people can do a little christmas shopping and help our BD at the same time. Finally we’ve just launched a project on Kickstarter.com which I am really excited about.

NG: How has the company fundraised in the past?

JH: Mostly it’s been through donations and performances. But as the economy is shifting our way of looking at fundraising is shifting too.

NG: What is Kickstarter and how will it help the company reach its financial goals?

JH: I want to really take advantage of the internet’s power to directly connect with our fans or potential fans and raise money one dollar at a time. I think in a lot of ways it might be easier to get $1 from 100,000 people than to find that rich patron with $100,000. (but we’re looking for both!) To that end we’ve recently launched a project on Kickstarter.com. Kickstarter is a micro-funding model that engages the specific fans or followers of the projects creator. They encourage you to offer rewards for backing rather than just asking for handouts. I think it’s brilliant in that it engages the fans and they are getting something in return for their support. Also, there’s little risk in backing because it’s an all or nothing model. If the total amount that your looking for doesn’t get raised all the money goes back to the supporters. We’re trying it out first to raise money for our New York trip. We’ve intentionally set the project for less than we need hoping that people will really respond and back us for more than our goal. That’s the other great thing about kickstarter, once you reach your goal you aren’t done. We really want this to blow up.

NG: What are the dancers commitments to the company?

JH: Specifically the dancers commit for 2 years for their first term and a year after that. We rehearse 3 days a week for 12 hours total for about 10 months out of the year. The dancer’s commitments are huge because, obviously, without their drive we wouldn’t have much of a company. That’s why our number one goal is to pay our dancers for rehearsals. Right now they are just paid for performances.

NG: How do the dancers support themselves financially? What do they do when they are not with the company?

JH: Most of our dancers hold a handful of other jobs. Some teach dance in studios all over southern California, some instruct pilates and yoga etc. Basically anything they can do that gives them the flexibility to rehearse three days out of the year and go away on tour.  Most of them are insanely busy. It’s that schedule that really drives the board and staff to get them salaries. You can see what I mean about looking like we are better funded than we are. Most people just assume that all they do is dance for BD. In reality they have two full time jobs, dancing with us and their money making jobs.

NG: What are you showing in New York?

JH: We’ll be performing an evening length program of repertory: Arrive, a commissioned piece based on a quote by poet-laureate Maya Angelou with music by Mogwai and Explosions in the Sky; Shift, an elegant four-part work with music by Zoe Keating; Sitting on January, the award-winning signature work by Backhausdance, set to music by Bela Fleck and danced effortlessly on wooden chairs; and a world premiere by Jennifer Backhaus.

NG: What is the company gaining from this opportunity?

JH: Hopefully we’ll be getting a whole new audience and set of fans who haven’t had the opportunity to see us before. Our dancers are getting a great performance opportunity, sort of a pay out of sorts for all of their hard work.

NG: Where do you see the company in the future?

JH: We want to be positioned as the premiere dance company in Southern California. We want to have a solid local performance schedule as well as yearly touring schedule. We think New York is a great first step

toward our goal of getting out of California on a more regular basis.

NG: What is your dream for the company and how can the community help?

JH: I want to bring some fantastic art and entertainment to the community. I think Jenny is immensely talented and our dancers are amazing. Add to that our educational outreach which I would love to see expanded. I have a goal of a second company that does that full time. The community can help in a number of ways. We’re always looking for money so any donation is very humbling and appreciated. Second, you can come out and see us when we perform. Finally, the easiest way is to just follow us. Sign up for our email list, follow us on twitter or facebook and visit our website frequently. The more we can interact with our audience and community the more successful we’ll be. All of these opportunities are easy to accomplish by going to our website, www.backhausdance.org.

Photos taken by Jack Hartin

Close your eyes and imagine a place where children dance their way into college with scholarships, while overcoming tremendous adversity with poise, grace, style, and a contemporary edge.  You are probably imagining a cheesy Disney show or a movie from the 80s.  Stretch that thought even further and imagine these same students presenting such great art that they are invited to perform at illustrious performance venues like the Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater (REDCAT) in Los Angeles.  No, it’s not a special on Oprah.  These children are real and they are right here in Orange County.  They all belong to the recently renamed The Wooden Floor in Santa Ana.

In its twenty-sixth year, The Wooden Floor is an environment that provides the communities youth with a, “Foundation, support, (and) launch-pad from where our youth are able to receive all that they need to take off.”  Says the artistic and executive director Melanie Ríos Glaser who is a well traveled and accomplished dancer and choreographer with a BFA from the Julliard School.

Over the twenty-six year span, the program has grown from a small pilot program founded by Beth Burns, a former nun, in a basement of a church to a multi-million dollar operation with its own state of the art facilities built in 1999.  This gorgeous facility gives the nearly 400 students of which 98% are of a Latino or multi-ethnic descent and 96% families’ are HUD designated as “Low to Extremely Low Income” an environment they can thrive in.  These students overcome so much adversity to be apart of The Wooden Floor, “Socioeconomic status is a challenge for being here,” says Glaser.  This facility partnered with the programming which keeps dance at the center surrounded by academic and family services gives these students a positive environment free of the outside limitations put on them because according to Glaser, “Everywhere else, they don’t get what they deserve.”

The programming with a now 100% college acceptance and attendance rate for all graduates cannot only be applauded for its academic and social accolades.  Formerly known as St. Joseph’s Ballet, The Wooden Floor has never performed a single ballet, but is at the fore-front of presenting cutting edge contemporary to post modern dance works.  This type of art is why The Wooden Floor is presenting at REDCAT for the second time, the first was in 2005.

“The kind of art they present is the kind of art we are interested in making,” is the reason REDCAT is an ideal setting for these, “…luminous, mature beyond their years, and glorious,” dancers, says Glaser.  Collaborating with choreographers Mark Haim, Nami Yamamoto, and director Melanie Ríos Glaser gives the dancers the opportunity to explore social issues, technical movement, and a more in depth sense of self and community.

All three contemporary works will challenge the audience on the January 15-16^th performances at REDCAT.  Mark Haim’s restaging of Los Angelitos takes an in depth look at overcoming adversity, while Nami Yamamoto’s Flying With My Shooting Stars is an abstracted look at the group dynamic, and Melanie Ríos Glaser’s premier aims to show the more real nuances of the youth performing.  The program will give the audience an overall sense of who the students of The Wooden Floor are and the abounding tenacity of their youthfulness and the strength in the challenges they have overcome.

The Wooden Floor’s evening at REDCAT runs January 15-16, 2010 at 8PM both evenings with tickets on sale for $20 and $10 for students.  Click here for more performance and ticket information.