BOUNCE
nytheatre.com review by Sharon Fogarty
August 15, 2002
I usually feel sorry for dancers.
Their lives are hard. They’re sad, broke, hungry and depressed most of
the time. Choreographer Eva Dean, however, says "thank you for sharing,"
and completely obliterates this with a performance that celebrates the
joy of the bounce. Dean’s cast is made up of six women and about a hundred bouncing balls of different size and color. There is virtually no activity that doesn’t connect with the ball. Her strong dancers, also fine actresses, have good relationships with these perfect shapes. Whether trusting them to hold their weight gently, or supporting them like a beloved planet overhead, these women use their rubber companions to create a unique and inspiring brand of theatre. Kids love this, but adults need it more. The dance is mesmerizing, meditative, and comforting to watch.
The stage presence and strong technique of Dean’s beautiful dancers is entrancing. Sharon Estacio and Mandy Sau-Yi Chan defy physics with astonishingly quick yet muscular accuracy. Jessica Calhoon’s focus and sense of play provide a necessary calm when rhythms get crazy. Cassie Mey, with beautiful length of limb and levity, appears to have the ability to fly. Angela Rauter’s beauty and tender strength are captivating, while Dean herself displays the sweetest wisdom as a performer who takes her playing seriously.
A must mention are Jean Hill’s costumes, fitting perfectly, always complementing the globes effectively. Her pretty short suits are adorable in Beach, a funny, leggy tribute to Busby Berkeley with some healthy vulgarity left in. Also memorable is Dolphins where lighting designer Zoe Klein’s brave low sides and cool ocean tints agree with Dean’s sensuous meditation on the sea and its mammals.
