Sat 8/21
DANCECleveland kicked off its new season with a very atypical (for it) presentation: a pair of free, outdoor, hip-hop-inspired and partly improvisational performances led by noted New York dancer Raphael Xavier. KOLÂDE-XCOPE is a “site-responsive” piece featuring six local dancers he chose to join him through a competition taking place at Cain Park’s Alma Theater earlier in the week. Their input helped to shape the performance, which was enhanced y contributions from live musician/vocalist Tim Mosher and electronic technology that added spoken word elements.
Each of the local dancers was distinctive and moving, bringing to bear elements of many dance styles as they wended their way down the park’s path outside its Alma Courtyard. As Xavier told the diverse crowd in a post-performance conversation, he was done with performances where the dancers were 50 feet away from the audience, preferring to make them an integral part of the show. He took questions from the crowd, and some of his ad hoc dance troupe shared what fuels their performances.
View the PHOTOSTREAM here.
