Kateland Dittig
Equinox Staff
The spotlight glistens down, the music flows throughout the theater, and dancers leap across the stage in contemporary costumes while articulating a message to be interpreted in a personal way by each audience member.
Adele Myers and dancers performed a magnificent show on Wednesday, October 19th in the Redfern Art Center. Two acts, This Dance is What You See and Theater in the Head dazzled hundreds of spectators.
People of all ages came to enjoy the performance, one of which was a world premiere that Keene State College had the honor to host.
The modern dance was filled with technique that required great skill. Even if the viewer was someone who knew nothing about dance, it was clear that extreme athleticism was vital to its success.
The dancers made it look so easy when they contorted their bodies and posed in what seemed painful positions for long amounts of time.
There should be no surprise to why the dancers had the ability to execute as well as they did since they have been practicing for the past two years. Donor, Thayer Kingsbury, 90 years of age, declared, “I was impressed with the grace and fluidity of the dances movements, they made it seem natural.”
The concert had everyone focused due to an unspoken connection and chemistry wafting throughout the theater. Dancer, Diana Deaver, proclaimed that through specific choreography, “Adele brings the audience and performers together while breaking the forth wall.”
Director of Brickyard Pond, Shannon R. Mayers agreed by praising Adele and saying, “The most dynamic thing about her is that she makes the dance come off the stage. Her persona has the ability to interact with the audience.”
When Adele Myers was asked about the messages she was trying to convey, she simply stated that she is not aiming to send a certain idea by any means.
She is only narrating a theatrical dance through the female perspective. There are no hidden thoughts emerging, but it is simply about the thrill of motion.
At the beginning it may just look like a regular performance, but as the show develops you begin to see the layers stripped away and you realize that the dancers are truly only humans who feel like the rest of us.
Adele did not set a concrete frame around the recital, but instead she created a series of puzzle pieces, which the individual had to put together with their imagination.
Myers commented, “Everyone observes it differently. Yes, everyone is witnessing the same dance, but each night a different journey is embarked between the dancers and viewers. The dancers feed off of the energy of the crowd; therefore it can be a more intimate experience.”
Before the recital even took place it had folks using their minds.
Junior, Matthew Carson, saw advertisements all around campus and was curious about the pink fabric on the posters.
He was content to find out its role in the show. In one scene, dancers were confined to move on a tiny piece of pink carpet. It was symbolic and Carson construed that, “the rug was a home base for the performers.”
Many agreed with this perception. Freshman Darina Paulino said that the carpet symbolized a “comfort zone.”
Humans are sometimes afraid to explore the unknown because they are comfortable with the situations they are currently in. Because of this, they never get the chance to gain knowledge and mature. People are also always beating themselves down in life. They lack confidence and get in the way of themselves the majority of the time. In one scene, two dancers were next to each other while the music intensified as a loud voice kept repeating, “You cannot do this” over and over again. One dancer proceeded by responding, “sure you can” to the other after each time. Emotion swept across, as it was clear that you should never give up on our dreams. Everyone needs to listen to their heart, not what others say. A coming of age story took place on stage in front of all the audience’s eyes. The performance had a serious impact on some. Freshman, Taylor Remy confessed, “It made me cry because of how powerful it was.”
Sophomore, Alexander Davis, said, “The concert successfully explored many themes. Most prominently seemed to be the idea of ‘What is a performer?,’ ‘What is an audience?,’ and ‘What makes dance?.’ The performance was enjoyable and thought provoking. Adele Meyers is a true artist, and all who attended should feel lucky to have shared that with her and her beautiful and talented company.”
Overall the entire night was filled with immense energy. It happened to be Adele’s birthday, which made things even more fun.
Everyone received a cupcake in the lobby and sang to her. Everyone was in a positive mood and Adele was responsible as her personality radiated through the work of art.
If you did not have the pleasure to attend this performance, make sure to keep your eyes peeled for upcoming shows.
The Redfern Art Center is celebrating the 30th anniversary by bringing talented artists to Keene State College. Make sure you don’t miss out on some wonderful entertainment.
Kateland Dittig can be contacted at kdittig@ksc.mailcruiser.com