musicandmotion's Blog

So much of being a teenager is about establishing friendships and relationships. While there is lots of advice out there from parents, peers, self-help books and web sites, it can still be quite confusing at times. Relationships are not always easy to talk about, certainly not with parents and sometimes even with peers.

However, one group of fourteen young women has decided to express their feelings about relationships through dance.  The members of Music & Motion Dance, a youth group of pre-professional dancers, have collaborated on a new dance work entitled RED. They have used the color red as a defining point for relationships, taking the audience through a journey that involves seduction, passion, anger, romance and joy. Ultimately this color journey leads one to an empowering view of who we are and what is truly possible. RED offers us an intimate look at relationships through the medium of movement, luscious visual imagery, differing human temperaments and undeniable beauty of self-discovery.

Artistic director Steven Weisz acknowledges, “Allowing oneself to be vulnerable enough to just put your feelings out there is what makes the creation of RED more difficult than previous dance works this group has created. Yet, the end results are something that touches all of us with a greater self-awareness.”

Music & Motion Dance has been a unique dance company from the start. It is neither a dance school nor a competition team. The dancers themselves come from all over the greater Philadelphia region. Comprised of youths ages 14-19, this group has come together from various backgrounds out of a love of dance and a desire to express themselves through performance. In fact, the dancers themselves have formed this non-profit company and input on every aspect of its operation - from marketing to production and from dance concept to choreography.

The development of RED has opened up a whole new dialogue for the cast members of Music & Motion Dance, but they are quick to add that it has also provided a basis of discussion about relationships in a more open fashion with the audiences they serve.

The opening of RED involves three dance pieces that examines flirtation and infatuation. Dancer Kristen Konski explains, “You know when you like someone. Your heart beats faster, your stomach seems to sink and you struggle for words every time you see them. It’s awkward at times but it’s also exciting.”

As the new dance work progresses, infatuation turns to love. Alex, one of the company’s newer members adds, “For a while, this new love occupies all your time, then the obsession settles. With infatuation gone, you start to see the other person as they really are – both their positive and negative aspects. You accept them for who they are unconditionally and want to support and help them. A crush may lead to love, but not always. And sometimes you find yourself falling in love with someone you didn't even find attractive the first time you met.”

As many a member of this group has discovered, what they thought was love is not always lasting. And even for such a young group, many have experienced break ups and the emotions that go with it. Senior dancer, Noelle Tolbert adds, “the end of a relationship can leave you feeling miserable, even if you were the one doing the dumping.” Together with Andrea Piovane, they created a duet called Lament, which depicts those feelings so clearly that it tends to bring onlookers to tears.

What is remarkable is how insightful the entire group has become as a result of this production. “Relationships mean compromise” according to Andrea.  But the group has learned so much more in this journey. As Kate Lubenetski explains, “Feeling comfortable about talking means feeling good about yourself. You need self-esteem to feel assertive. Be as true to yourself as you can. Respect your own thoughts and opinions and be honest about them. Your partner will love you for who you are. Pretending to be something you're not won't work in the long term.”

In their final piece, which focuses on resolve and self-fulfillment, the entire cast makes that message so very clear, as one can feel not only the inner strength they have developed, but also with it the grace, beauty and self-confidence they exude as a group.

Be sure to look for their upcoming performances of RED in late Spring of 2007 in the Greater Philadelphia region. You can find out more information about this group and their schedule at www.music-and-motion.com.