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.
