On September third, I went to Movement Arts Studio (1602 Philadelphia Ave, Orlando FL) to watch a rehearsal of a dance piece by Holly Harris. The two performers were Rebekah Lane and Ariel Clarke. Becky has an acting/puppetry background and Ariel is a contemporary dancer and instructor at Focus Performing Arts Center in Lake Mary. Both are representing Canvas Creative Movement Coalition at The Shift Unity in Motion.
Holly explained the premise behind the creative movement and dance piece. “A year ago I read through some silly fables from a
book called, Stories for Nighttime and Some for the Day. A three-line
poem in that book stood out to me called The Shadow.”
‘Once there was a man was was afraid of his shadow.
Then he met it.
Now he glows in the dark.’
“When Larissa asked me to present an
experimental movement piece for The Shift, I immediately went to my idea
board to find this poem. I thought I could lead an audience on an
imaginative journey of sight, sound, and feeling through the art of
creative movement. In the beginning of the duet, you see Becky reading
and as she yawns she suddenly takes notice of her shadow for the very
first time. She is connecting the black mass that is seen on the stage
floor with the light coming from the lamp and it confuses and frightens
her. One minute into the piece, her shadow is personified by another
dancer, who at first alarms her but then reveals that she is simply an
abstract continuation of her body and mind as they move in sync
together. As the piece continues to develop, the shadow guides Becky
into exploring the mysteries of the world that often go by unnoticed
like a solitary shadow.”
This rehearsal space is inside a huge warehouse with tapestries and gilded mirrors on the walls. Large blue fabric was draped elegantly over the long dancer’s mirror. The rehearsal involved Becky and Ariel developing the first three minutes of the piece.One particularly memorable moment involved Becky walking in a wide arc ad Becky as her shadow matched her steps as she rotated on her hips on the floor. Movement was developed in a playful collaboration. Holly watched the dancers shadows to be sure everything worked.
Mark Your Calendar! The Shift which involved pieces developed by six dance companies will be September 13th and 14th in the Goldman Theater in the Lowndes Shakespeare Center (812 E. Rollins Street Orlando FL) at 8pm. Tickets at the door are $20.