Lewis Carroll‘s Alice In Wonderland has infused its way into so many productions in Orlando. At this rehearsal, Tisse Mellon and dancers were busy painting spirals onto cardboard disks. They were all hung in the entry as people entered the venue which was on Hanging Moss Drive right near Full Sail University. The black box theater was a nice big warehouse space and unfortunately this is the only production I ever saw staged there. Linda Eve Elchak of NAO Dance choreographed this playful production.
A whimsical, playful post show environment was created with a minimal budget using little more than cardboard paint and fabrics. The theme as audience members entered was the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party. These spiral disks were suspended to create a dizzying perspective. Actors arms jutted out from behind black curtains holding trays of sumptuous treats. The dance performance itself was incredibly playful, incorporating dancers improvisational contributions as well as crisp choreography.
NAO Dances mission, is to explore honest perspectives in the human condition through movement that inspires, enlightens, and entertains. When you dance only from your ego or your conscious mind you are just
skimming the surface. Develop your voice and imagine what is really
possible when you dance from your authentic person. The Nao Dance Collective is not interested in programming individuals, instead they let every dancer have their own voice and allow them to
develop themselves through self-discovery.
Nao Dance Collective, pronounced “now” came from the word Tao which is
“the way of life”. Ancient Chinese considered Tao as the highest,
omnipresent order of universe. A life following Tao implies a life with
the highest fulfillment. Nao Dance Collective company members are bold, intuitive, risk-takers with a strong base of technical training. Linda offers classes in the NAO technique on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday’s . Classes are located at different Dance
Studios every Sunday from 5pm to 630pm $10.00 drop in rate.