Animation, relationships, social media, lanterns, melodrama and a disco ball will be revealed from behind the curtain when Cal State Long Beach College of the Arts and Department of Dance presents “CSULB Dance in Concert” at the Martha B. Knoebel Dance Theater from Nov. 16-19.
CSULB faculty choreographers Rebecca Bryant, Sophie Monat, Lorin Johnson, Rebecca Lemme and guest artists Laurel Jenkins and Summer Brown crafted pieces that deal with finding inner strength, coming together and processing emotions in a supportive atmosphere.
Most CSULB faculty shows are not crafted around a common theme; however, these CSULB faculty’s poignant messages have unexpectedly fallen parallel to the current issues in our country because of the 2016 election results.
Starting the concert is an eye-opening work choreographed by Bryant, which is the next installment for her series “Suite Female.” Collaborating with artists from CSULB’s animation program, Bryant creates a unique landscape involving animal imagery. Different situations, steeped in wit and irony, transform as dancers are bounding and spiraling across the stage.
“Overlook,” choreographed by Concert Director Sophie Monat, is an intimate contemporary duet that explores the shifting nature of a relationship over time. Set to the lush music of cellist composer Julia Kent, the dancers extend, sustain, and manipulate their bodies throughout the space. Monat’s work juxtaposes delicacy with strength, as the dancers defy gravity in their partnering.
“I think what’s wonderful about the concert is that the six dances being presented draw upon a wide range of dance styles, themes, musical inspirations, and artistic collaborations,” Monat said. “For myself, it has been such a pleasure working with dancers who contribute so much to the creative process, and in talking with the other choreographers, I know they feel the same way.”
Jenkins debuts “OPERA,” set to Handel’s 1709 Agrippina: Aria Voi, a work with relentlessly physical dance that reveals a mass of dramatic gestures and emotional relationships. With her 14 person cast, Jenkins creates a period piece with arching movement and disruption of time giving an inside look to struggle and unity of this community and the individuals involved.
“Her vision was for us to have a vision, she wanted us to take artistic license,” says senior dance major Elana Goodman. “So, the process was super collaborative, because she genuinely wanted to hear our input and ideas.”
Brown’s “Mainland” offers a poignant ensemble dance work inspired by the life, journey, and passing of the choreographer’s grandparents. Moments of release shimmer throughout the piece with a motif of deep breaths. The ensemble deals with their emotions together and separately, resembling the truth of how everyone deals with loss in different ways.
“My process always heavily relies on why we do things, the performance of it and clarity of intention,” says Brown. “Each of them have their own intention map, and it can change, there can be a lot of in-the-moment choices and spontaneity … So they can make it not just about what I think it’s about, but that it means something to them personally [and as a group].”
Lorin Johnson’s “Social Domain” explores aspects of contemporary identity through representations in social media. Created collaboratively with video animator, Gregory R.R. Crosby, Johnson’s work involves projections investigating truth, lies, and the boundaries between public and private discourse. An intertwining of solos and duets shows the reality of cyberbullying as the dancers go through distressing, confusing, and unsure situations.
“I really like working with Lorin because he’s very understanding and wants you to find your connection with the piece,” third-year dance major Morgan Loomis said. “For me, I’m really trying to channel inner emotions of how other people felt in that position. I want to be the part and be the character.”
Closing the show on a high-spirited note is “Love Letter,” choreographed by Lemme. Set to classic songs from the 1950s and ‘60s, “Love Letter” is an homage to the lovelorn, the misfits and the hopeless romantics.
“It will make everyone want to go home and ‘dance’ with their partner,”Jenkins said.
Lemme’s colleague, Bryant, commented that the dancers are an army of lovelorn in a collage created from the different fractions of love in this concert’s big brass-band finish.
“It’s interesting because five of the six choreographers are female. So, there’s a lot of specifically female perspectives that will be seen in the show,” Lemme said. “In ‘Love Letter,’ it’s certainly from my perspective but I’m also hoping that it’s something that a lot of people in the audience — men and women alike — can relate to.”
CSULB Dance in Concert will take place Nov. 16-19 at 8 p.m., with an additional matinée Nov. 19, at 2 p.m. An open reception will follow the Nov. 18 performance at 8 p.m. in the theatre green room.
Audience members are encouraged to arrive early to enjoy a lobby exhibit of costume designs by Liz Carpenter and photographs by Gregory R.R. Crosby of the choreographers with dancers during the process.
Performances are located in the Martha B. Knoebel Dance Theater on the CSULB Campus. Tickets are $20 for general admission and $16 for seniors, students (with valid ID) and Dance Resource Center Members. For tickets and information call (562) 985-7000 or visit www.csulb.edu/dance.