sunday at the dance

Sunday afternoon was spent downtown at the Dorothy Chandler watching the Mark Morris Dance Group perform and for those interested parties, this was a spectacular event... one I will remember with great pleasure.

My friend, Ines and I went to the pre-performance talk... and although I'd heard of Morris, I'd never attended any of the performances, much to my dismay (after the last on-stage bow).

What makes this troupe so unique is the melding of dance/live orchestra/operatic music to create a rich, flawless multi-layered effect... a spectacular, not to be missed sensory event.

Before the show, the (pre-performance) speakers talked about how people would sit in the audience and think, "I could do that... what's the big deal?" Well, I sat there and thought "These dancers are beautiful, strong, and even though they make it look easy, I wouldn't (in a million years) be able to do that..." There were moments during the performance where it looked like chaos... exquisitely controlled chaos... and that was when I remembered why I so loved to watch (modern) dance... that feeling of joyful abandon where gravity was the only reason they couldn't fly... although one sensed that if they could, they would lose themselves to the rafters (or even higher).

So, to those who hear that the Morris Dance Group will be performing anywhere in their area, run (don't walk) to the nearest ticket office and stand in line for the privilege of seeing these performers live! Trust me, you will not regret your decision.


Website info for the performance...

Celebrating its 30th anniversary, Mark Morris Dance Group performs L'ALLEGRO, IL PENSEROSO ED IL MODERATO, which features 24 dancers, the LA Opera Orchestra and Chorus as well as a quartet of world-class singers: sopranos Hei-Kyung Hong and Sarah Coburn, tenor Barry Banks and bass-baritone John Relyea.
With Handel's pastoral ode as the musical landscape, and set to the poetry of John Milton*, along with sets inspired by William Blake's later watercolors, L'ALLEGRO is a true artistic feat sure to captivate Music Center audiences. Morris' landmark work is presented as part of the first-ever collaboration between the Music Center and LA Opera.

Pictured: June Omura and Bradon McDonald. Photo by Nan Melville