The Flute on its Feet was one of the more classically refined shows at this year’s Fringe Festival. Zara Lawler, a classically trained flutist, made her concerto debut with the Houston Symphony. Dancer C. Neil Parsons is a veteran of dozens of Fringe Productions, most recently Fruit Flies Like a Banana. Together they performed eight pieces. What was unique was that Zara on flute would often join Neil in the dance moves as she played.
The most unique performance came when Zara interacted with an orange steel square rack similar to a clothes rack in size and shape. She circled the rack and walked through it. Then she stood inside and maneuvered herself until she was standing on her head while still playing flute. Later, she lay on the floor and let the rack roll over her like a railroad car.
Neil’s dances were at times mechanical and at time graceful. It was modern dance with a quirky edge. There was audience interaction as the attendees were divided in half and one side began a round, followed by the other side repeating the lyrics. Think row row row your boat, only with more refined lyrics, “Music Alone Shall Live.“