I went to the final run through rehearsal for Emotions Dance performance of Blur at Turning Pointe Dance Studio (470 E Lake Brantley Drive, Longwood, FL). Rehearsal started at 9PM so I had time to eat dinner with Terry at home before I left. The dance company’s founder was on a conference call to California when I arrived and she told the dancers they had five minutes to warm up before starting to dance “full out”.
Using contemporary dance, Blur examines social networking, consumerism, the corporate world and reality television and asks “Are we really connected to one another”? Energetic, heartfelt and also playful choreography came together to look at our habits in today’s hectic world! Things are not always black and white. My favorite dance number involved all the dancers moving in a grid like pattern on the stage as they tapped out text messages. The driving techno music by Draft Punk Techno Logic set the fast paced beat to messages sent with little heart. “Buy it, use it, break it, fix it, trash it, change it, melt – upgrade it, charge it, pawn it, zoom it, press it, snap it, work it, quick – erase it, write it, get it, paste it, save it, load it, check it, quick – rewrite it, plug it, play it, burn it, rip it, drag and drop it, zip – unzip it, lock it, fill it, curl it, find it, view it, code it, jam – unlock it, surf it, scroll it, pose it, click it, cross it, crack it, twitch – update it, name it, rate it, tune it, print it, scan it, send it, fax – rename it, touch it, bring it, pay it, watch it, turn it, leave it, stop – format it.” I love the lyrics! They seem to document my mad struggle to keep up with a digital world.
Tonight, Saturday September 15th, is the last performance so get to the Orlando Repertory Theatre Blackbox (1001 E Princeton St, Orlando) by 8PM. Buy it, charge it, rip it, then prepare for some truly thought provoking dance! There is an opening act by Turning Pointe Elite. Go!