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Explorations of Human States Dance Review by Lewis Segal Los Angeles Times Monday, January 26, 2004 Unusual partnerships united the two halves of “Can You Move Me?,” an exploratory evening of contemporary dance shared by locally based artists Stefan Fabry and Arianne MacBean at Highways Performance Space on Friday. Using an array of recorded music, MacBean’s artful seven-part suite “Ways of Moving” initially cast Elizabeth Hoefner, Eliza Pfister, and Ken Datugan as droll triplets – clothed identically in tuxedos over bare feet and moving identically in sequences based on very simple actions (hops in place, for example, or pantomimed swimming strokes) varied through formal sequencing ploys. Between the four trios in the piece, solos defined distinct personalities for each participant. In “I Dance Who I Am,” Hoefner’s intense torso-coiling launched sweeping, slashing thrusts of legs and arms. Pfister’s “I Dance What I Cannot Say” found her tentative in both speech and motion, increasingly intent on declaring herself and always failing. “I Dance What I Dream Is True” sent Datugan ambling through loose, happy-go-lucky gambits before the cast reunited for an ironic mambo finale... MacBean’s dancers found a focus and a sense of identity in their quirky togetherness...” ‘Happened’ Hangs Its Emotions Out to Dry Dance Review by Lewis Segal Los Angeles Times Saturday, July 20, 2002 Explorations of identity under a clothesline, dance parodies that illuminate the performers’ attitudes toward their work and one another: Choreographer Arianne MacBean is on her favorite turf with “This Happened,” a new hour-long example of what she calls, “smart dance,” performed at Highways Performance Space in Santa Monica. At the premiere on Thursday, the nine-part piece began with five women mixing mundane tasks under that clothesline with poetic longings but soon reached its epicenter – a poem by C.K. Williams about a young woman who threw away her life because of the lack of true feeling or authenticity in it. Images of that woman teetering on the brink of suicide kept recurring in somber modern dance solos, punctuated by depictions of authenticity lost and found. These depictions included outrageous lampoons of professional corps dancing – everything from ballet to commercial jazz – that highlighted the individuality that dancers sacrifice for cookie-cutter uniformity. However, a look at backstage relationships helped reinforce the sense of camaraderie that MacBean portrayed as the saving grace in women’s lives – a reason to keep going no matter how meaningless or degrading the task. Perhaps the most complex choreographic vision came in a somber duet for Rande Dorn and Miriam Kramer, each feeling the same feelings and dancing the same steps but unaware of each other: separated by one of Ernie Avila’s geometric set units that served as walls and platforms during the evening. Isolated, restless yet deeply connected in ways the audience could understand even if they could not, these women represented all those who desperately need the lifeline of friendship or sisterhood so feelingly celebrated in this thoughtful, humane feminist panorama. Other dancers in the performance included Robin Conrad, Elizabeth Hoefner and MacBean herself. Percussionist Mike Robbins performed the music for three sections. Monday, August, 28, 2000 by Victoria Looseleaf 'I'm Not You' Abounds with Humor, Wit Dance has often been accused of lacking humor. Not so with Arianne MacBean and The Big Show Co., which shared billing with lwk-Bodytalk, two promising new troupes that appeared at Highways on Friday in an evening called, "I'm Not You." Indeed, dancer Elizabeth Hoefner's gamin looks and solid acting propelled "The Arianne MacBean Ballets" - an eleven-part exploration into the relationship between choreographer, performer, theater space, audience and (gulp) dance critic - beyond humor into parody, provocative thought and deft physicality. Wearing an "I am Arianne MacBean" T-shirt, Hoefner took cues from the choreographer, who announced each "ballet" offstage, such as "Practice Makes Perfect" and "Hanging Out to Dry." The latter was MacBean's poke at reviewers, whose names were emblazoned on T-shirts suspended from a clothesline. Throughout, Hoefner would speak while executing moves, from high kicks and slithering hips to shadowboxing and shoulder shimmying. Disc jockey John Wyatt created alive sound collage, and there was even audience participation: We were told to put on name-bearing T-shirts that had been placed under our seats, and thus was a dance constructed, reconstructed (shirts were removed) and deconstructed. A terrific piece and a tour de force for Hoefner. |
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"Arianne's
choreographic work is visually compelling, conceptually sound and highly
intelligent." "Arianne's
choreography in Women's Work created a new language of ritual which engaged
the unfolding lives of women and the work they do in a way which offered
fresh perspective." "Walking
so precariously along that wall, talking to herself, the bride's movements
were symbolic of her uncertainty. As were her attempts to take the final
steps towards the altar, as well as the excruciating, gratuitous smiles.
I could think for hours and hours about what the experience of Central
Ave. said to me." |
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"Arianne's
work is personal and pungent. She tackles concepts that are intellectually
rigorous, with room still open for interpretation. Her imagination crosses
into many aspects of dance, theater and writing." Arianne's
inherent talent in movement added to her intellectual capability prepare
her for an exciting and rewarding career in the field of dance."
"The
five female dancers in Women's Work were dressed all in white. The women
were standing in front of a clothes-line, each with a sheer piece of white
cloth. It was awe inspiring to watch these women hang their precious laundry
with such care, working always, together." |
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"The
Big Show integrates complex issues of gender and mediated culture, forging
a visual and kinesthetic form that is smart as well as vulnerable, critically
provocative and viscerally moving." |
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