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LA DANCE CHRONICLE

Los Angeles Dance Festival ~ Performance Review by Joanne DiVito

STRING THEORY performed “LANDSCAPE ONE” during the 20-minute Intermission done out on the courtyard. Choreographed by Holly Rothschild in collaboration with the dancers, it was a gorgeous piece, which the company considered to be a “work in progress” yet managed to transform the audience.

The dancers and musicians all in white were stunning, not only because of their stature but because of their technical expertise.  There was 5 silver strings with notes attached draped from Pillar-to-Post with the lovely Andrea Sobke, plucking those strands.  The strong lyrically exquisite dancers, Danny Dolan, Lavinia Findikoglu, Kearian Giertz, Andrea Sobke, and Carissa Songhorian were powerful, along with being technically striking.  They moved in and through the space with such control and beauty one did not want to miss any moment of their story telling.

The musicians were rhythmic, dynamic and aesthetically powerful, with the clear tones of Violinist’s and vocalist, Julie Pusch, who transformed the space into a kind of ancient temple of pure art.  The musicians included Robert Amjarv, Vivek Maddala, Danny Moynahan, Holly Rothschild, Luke Rothschild, Gavin Salmon, and Andrea Sobke. 

Jeff Slayton for "Moves After Dark" http://www.ladancechronicle.com/moves-after-dark-2018-animates-disney-hall/

Holly Rothschild, artistic director of Strange & Elegant Dance, chose the Hall’s Grand Avenue stairs to present her work entitled Under/Current to a melancholy music score by Luke Rothschild. Also costumed in white, but with a very different style of clothing, the dancers began by walking slowly up the stairs as one man performed alone at the top. Rothschild’s movement was often quiet, low energy, but with a tension from within the performers that spoke volumes. The characters appeared to be traveling through time and toward a common, unspoken place that only they knew existed.

The choreography explored all areas of the stairs, including a wonderful upward traveling diagonal in which the group of travelers aided one another under and over the railings as if maneuvering obstacles put there to impede their journey. Dancers intently slithered down the cement stairs like stalking creatures, or quietly walked down with piercing, definitive expressions on their faces. Women were transported on the shoulders of men up and down sections of the stairs. Fluid, linear and highly technical dancing took place at the bottom, on and at the top of the stairs.

Under/Current left the impression of a world different from that of those observing. It was eerie without being scary, but it exuded a sense of other worldliness.  The cast who not only danced with great skill, but who held that tension throughout the work were: Genevieve Carson-Baker, Lavinia Findikoglu, Kearian Giertz, Tess Hewlett, Genna Moroni, JM Rodriquez, Carissa Songhorian, and Jamal Wade.

"REMEMBERING WATER" BY DEBRA LEVINE FOR ARTS MEME

Everything about “Remembering Water,” a fully integrated dance-and-rock-music pageant presented by Los Angeles-based String Theory, and repeated next weekend at Santa Monica’s charming Miles Playhouse, is pure joy.

Spooling through 13 staged songs for a nicely compact 65 minutes, the highly versatile and handsome troupe of eleven (seven musicians, four dancers) radiate a spontaneous pleasure in performance that is rarely seen, and difficult for viewers to resist.

A promising sight greets the audience upon arrival: a stageful of powerful musical instruments including five medium-sized kettle drums, a huge string bass, multiple electric guitars, drum trap-set and slicing the air space, Luke and Holly Rothschild’s signature, long-stringed harp deployed as a sculptural centerpiece. Twanging and plucking this instrument cleverly converts to a dance occasion. String Theory uses every inch of the proffered square footage, including a smallish but beautifully lit raised stage, with wood-floored performance space stretching toward the audience seated on risers. Even the corners of the room host activity; at one point, an upright piano gets dragged across the space while being played.

An excellent quartet of dancers traipses in and out of the program, as though in a variety show. Two slender, leggy leading ladies, Livinia Findikoglu and Andrea Sobke, garbed like vixens in black mini-skirts and bare legs, squirm and squiggle like the final water drops shaken from a garden hose. Joined by Danny Dolan and Tess Hewlett, the foursome (well) execute Holly Rothschild’s athletic pairings; they also take up unusual tasks. They sing do-wop-style at standing mikes; they bang drums behind Holly Rothschild’s demonic leadership; donning harnesses, they stretch the strings of a living harp across the stage. In my favorite episode, each dancer drags a tiny amplifier by a long chord, like a tiny pet poodle or a child’s piece of luggage, spilling forth ambient sound, primarily heavy breathing, while moving and posing. It’s a witty extension of the evening’s stringed motif.

The creativity is keyed on thirteen original songs, some soulful, even celestial. While the music errs toward a mystical cultish tone, it doesn’t take itself too seriously, with one number entitled, “Dirge.” And indeed it is. Everyone sings; I like this, but Robert Amjarv strongly leads in this area. The band finds a driving force in Julie Pusch’s whining violin – she, too, doubles and triples her duties, singing, playing the synthesizer and then piano.

What most appeals to this viewer is the choice performance space, the vintage and spiritual Miles Memorial Playhouse. The Spanish Colonial revival style playhouse, dating to 1929, seems to be thriving under the careful stewardship of landlord The City of Santa Monica.

SUBTEXT
Diavolo Dance Theater
By Steven Woodruff

Reprising the format from LACDC's most recent production, The Nature of Things (May 2011), the company recently concluded its new repertory program at Diavolo Dance Theater with an evening of works by guest choreographers and LACDC Artistic Director, Kate Hutter, in a program titled SUBTEXT. Presenting works for the first time in conjunction with LACDC were Mike Esperanza, Artistic Director for BARE Dance Company and Holly Rothschild, who is a multidisciplinary choreographer and founding member of the music group, String Theory. While the title for the evening may have been more directly applicable to Rothschild's work, The Better To See You With, a freewheeling fantasy based on a darker backstory for Little Red Riding Hood, it also lent sense to Esperanza's, A SILVER LINING (based on Shel Silverstein's cartooning and poems) and Hutter's, BUTTON AND CUFFS, which realizes a version of dance based on heavy electronica and dance beats.

The red meat on the evening's program was THE BETTER TO SEE YOU WITH, which takes the Red Riding Hood narrative hard core in a suite of dirty, pretty things and never looks back. We are familiar with the psychological underpinnings of much of so called children's literature. Here, Rothschild has in a sense, taken Dumas (I'm thinking Nutcracker) and stuffed it back full of the original, gritty Hoffman to create a dance fable that is utterly darkened and often creepy. Why you might ask? Possibly because dystopic narratives are ultimately more intriguing--and easier to deploy-- but it leaves the theatrical doors wide open for invention and there is no shortage of it here. From the beginning, with the projected images of slavering wolves and the set, a hanging forest, the trip to Grandma's cottage is looking pretty daunting.

Here, there is a film sequence of our heroine making her way through the forest and in the process downing Grandmother's wine and stuffing the pastries in her own face. There, a seminar of Drag Grandma's answering the kids hail of questions until one of the four impersonators screams, shut up. A recurring movement of the women seated or standing with undulating pelvises lets you know that the amazing animal sex may be at hand. Did I mention that the women's knees are bloodied. You can imagine what they've been up to. And so it goes. Perhaps in the end, there is too much unremitting ghastliness but Rothschild gets her lengthy, highly inventive tale to hold to together.

There were some surprises too. In one long section the twelve member cast faces the audience; while standing nearly on top of the front row of seating they slowly shift facial expressions. Some cry, others burst out in laughter, some are expressionless. Set to Caribou by the Pixies, the moment becomes a minimalist feast. You realize that even a simple staging trick, mostly devoid of movement, can have a potent impact. Carrying much of the narrative was Drea Sobke, one of the heroines (there may have been others) who was a strong presence, whether on film or on stage. She acts and moves with authority and proved again that she can cover roles like this one securely. The quartet of men also was excellent. They were Michael Crotty, Justin Liu, Omar Olivas and Andrew Pearson. The score for THE BETER TO SEE YOU WITH used already available music with some counter intuitive choices like the music of Tuesday Weld, Dean Martin and the Romanian Gypsy band, Taraf de Haidouks. Luke Rothschild engineered a workmanlike sound score from the varied recorded sources. Holly Rothschild and Hutter collaborated on the costuming. The cinematography was by Eric Mason. The direction was by Rothschild and included choreographic collaboration with the LACDC dancers.

The series has played to full houses, indicating that LACDC is building a growing downtown presence. The program was in part supported by the Los Angeles County Arts Commission. You can find out more about Los Angeles Contemporary Dance Company and upcoming concert events through their website at lacontemporarydance.org

The Broad Stage review by Nicole Campoy-Leffler Fine Arts LA

Last Saturday evening, Sring Theory took tlre idea of Valentine's Day to a new level of shock and awe. Their signature, large resonant sringed instrument (they install one everywhere they perform) ran strings above the audience's heads, one performer came onto stage in a skirt that stre could play, their violinist played her instrument seven different ways, and they finally proved the theory that stilettos are indeed a form of percussion. The most shocking of all was how beautifully they perfornred. I don't mean to say that my expectations were low. Instead, I mean that they managed to merge their esoteric vision of Valentineos Day, well choreographed modern dance, wild costumes with stilts, custom-made instrumentso and taditional insffurnents into apackage as exciting and spectacular as anything you would have wanted to see on any Sahrday night. Perhaps that's why they need fifteen members.

The Broad Stage continued in the way of making this a Valentine's to remember - String Theory's performance was one in their series called "After Party with ttre Artists". Described as nights designed for "those who believe art and fun go hand-in-hand", these prformances are followed by a catered party held at a venue outside of the theatre. On Saturday, we were directed to the Fainnont Miramar Hotel where the new restauranL
FIG, provided the catering. Not only were the artists there to meet and receive praise, but some even continued singing and playing music. The party was an absolute succsss, almost giving couples with no post-performance plans a "get out ofjail free" card- They had a room set up with a photographer taking pictrnes of couples and singles with love- the,lned captions, an inesistible assortment of dessertso and since ttre hotel is conveniently located near the Santa Monica Pier, we saw an unexpected display of pinh red and heart- shaped fireworks. All in all, it will be a difficult evening to top next year.

- By Nicole Campoy-Leffler 

 An interview with Christy Rappold:      https://www.ralphpucciculture.net/1025-n-mccadden-opening

"Remembering Water" review by Debra Levine.  http://artsmeme.com/?s=String+Theory+Productions&submit=search

https://www.smgov.net/departments/ccs/content.aspx?id=49706

http://www.danceanywhere.org/news/2015/holly-rothschild/

http://smdp.com/holly-rothschilds-seaclipse-replay-tongva-park/150563

https://www.ralphpucci.net/editorials/editorials_Holly_Rothschild_Dance_performance

https://thisstage.la/2013/11/las-fling-with-string-theory-heats-up/

https://www.architecturaldigest.com/gallery/ralphpucci