It was the first time that I experienced the famous dance troupe of MOMIX. Under the direction of Moses Pendleton, the company combines modern dance with “Cirque”, music, shadows, lights, humor and illusion.
The particular production viewed was The Best of MOMIX at Queens Theatre In The Park located at New York City’s Flushing Meadow-Corona Park Here was the lineup that evening, including some of the music.
“Discman”, performed by Jared Wootan, is a larger than life day-glo puppet-like terrestrial who walks and bends about the stage. This particular music is an excerpt from Classics.
In the duet called “TUU”, set to the music “One Thousand Years”, Rebecca Rasmussen and Sam Beckman appear as a statue and then slowly open their limbs as if they were a flower in time-elapsed photography then blend into a single creation as their arms and legs slide around and over then balancing on each other.
“Aqua Flora” had Nicole Loizedes whirling a headdress of strung beads. I think that she was spinning more than 100 times during the beginning. “Gayatri Mantra”, is the back up music.
“Moon Beams”, consisted of three women basically rolling around on or balancing on their heads what looked like large exercise balls that you see in a gym and doing this in unison. This scenario was performed by Heather Magee, Rebecca, and Paula Rivera. Music for this one is “Waken” by Kevin Dooley.
“Pole Dance” is not what you think. There are three men, Beckman, Brian Simerson and Wootan vaulting around on sticks balancing gymnastics with their legs and torsos appearing like billowing flags. They were assisted by five other members of the cast to hold up the poles and move them. You will hear the music “The Hunt”, from the album Winds of Warning.
In “Medusas”, from Lunar Sea, Heather, Rebecca and Paula are dressed as ghost-like creatures. With the Middle Eastern rhythm of “Like This” their opaque fabric shrink and swell, an illusion created with an umbrella that forms trembling jellyfish along with other oddities.
“The Last Vaudevillian” was certainly performed for humor. Brian Simerson was donned in a loose-fitting black suit that was topped with an oversized puppet head. Using the Klezmer played song of “Rumania”, the dancer would flip upside down and then bang his had each time the word, “Setz” was sung. It was hard to tell if Brian might have been upside down inside the costume, and therefore actually stamping his feet to the beat.
Next came “Zaar”, an excerpt from Passion, performed by Heather to the music of Peter Gabriel. It was pretty much a modern dance with a flung ribbon that spiraled over her head and went down to her ankles.
There’s always that great number before the intermission and “Millenium Skiva”, performed by Nicole Loizides and Brian was one of the greats to view. Staged to the music “Brainbug”, the duo dressed in shiny silver while dancing on skis. With feet locked into both the boots and bindings, at times they leaned over so far that they rolled over the tips of their skis. Much of the dance is done is unison.
Breaking for intermission you could hear the murmurs of the audition in awe talking of not only the dancers movements but also their acrobatics. The shadows and illusions would shine during the second act.
“Geese” gives us five dancers (ten arms) all in black, except for white shirt sleeves that are illuminated by black light, who mimic the flight of geese. This excerpt from Lunar Sea is backed by the music “Treasure” and performed by Nicole, Heather, Rebecca, Paula and Jared.
“Dream Catcher” is certainly one that you would expect to see at a Cirque performance. Performed by Sam and Heather, with the music “Mountain Walk East”, it puts the dancers on the bars of rolling frames. It appeared like twisting and turning on a jungle gym that they would flip over to the other almost looking as if the frame might fall onto their body.
“The Wind Up”, performed by Nicole to the music “Sprit of the Forest”, was a bit like “Aqua Flora” but with moving an ultraviolet-like silver ball from her hand to her shoulder dancing against a darkly lit stage.
“Sputnik” must have employed more than just the cast needing ten to assist Sam, Nicole, Heather, Rebecca, Paula, Brian and Jared. One female performer squated on a large bowl, as the male performers cast large spears into her vessel. With the music, “Diamante”, she spins the dancers as couples on their spears into what looks like a whirl of centrifugal force. This, I must say was more of an erotically performed piece and probably one of the highlights of the evening.
The show ended with a piece called “E.C”, or as I understand it to be, “Extra Celestial” as the entire company was involved in this performance of shadows, puppetry and illusion. These dancers seemed to use all parts of their bodies to make these dark shapes on a huge white screen. For instance, there were Adam and Eve (and the apple as well), a spider, a falling child, and a sunflower. Figures were flowing as if they were in one of those lava lamps. Although the piece did not depict the modern dance of the troupe, it did lend itself to an appreciative ending.
When the cast came out to take their bows, they each did a quick performance of their own in slight dance but more acrobatic. Check their tour dates on www.momix.com
QTIP has some very entertaining lineup this season, with free parking and even a shuttle if you choose to take the subway. www.queenstheatre.org
