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Flash Review 2, 5-5: "Poon"
Lavish! Lascivious!
By Darrah Carr
Copyright 2003 Darrah Carr
NEW YORK -- "Poon,"
Jordana Che Toback's latest show, which premiered at PS 122 the
weekend before last, is a delightfully lavish, sexy spectacle: twelve
panting dancers, eight dreamy musicians, four ingenious costume
designers, and one dynamic choreographer in a bathtub (not to mention
both makeup and hair designers who gave the cast more glamor than
downtown dance has seen in a decade)! After an hour of slithering
gyrations, heavy breathing, and intimate gestures, the tension in
the theater was palpable. "Poon" references a bawdy cabaret, or
a high-end strip club, yet flips our position as voyeur on its head.
The dancers wield the power of their sexuality boldly and brazenly.
At times, it seemed like we were watching a private dance party.
As the evening went on, it seemed it would be as fun, if not more,
to get up and join the performers, rather than continuing to sit
and watch. Indeed, the choreography began to suffer from too much
of the same movement quality -- the raw sexuality, ironically, lost
its punch after a while.
A notable exception
was Toback's "Air" piece (one of several sections based on the four
elements), which displayed the greatest range of the evening, both
in choreographic structure and movement quality. Dancers stood absolutely
still, arms outstretched, as if soaking up the sun. They dove deftly
to the floor, the white under layers of their skirts fluttering
like streamers behind them. They inhaled deeply, with satisfaction,
as if smelling the skin of a lover, and came to rest in individual
poses, frozen like alabaster statues. A similarly subtle, yet highly
sensual quality was displayed by two belly dancers in the final
"Earth" section. They wove seamlessly through the rest of the cast,
moving twice as slowly, and proving mesmerizing to the eye.
Touches of comedy provided
another welcome change throughout the piece. Bret Mantyk charmed
the audience with a bottle of champagne (especially the woman he
offered a glass to), before performing an impressive solo in the
"jacking" style of '80s club dancing. Toback's lengthy monologue
included cracks on George Bush and CNN, which were certainly appreciated
by this particular critic. Nevertheless, the section itself was
a bit of a non sequitur.
Perhaps the most important
element in making the show feel cohesive was the incredible band.
Under the direction of composer Tom Rossi, the musicians blended
electronica with influences from India, Cuba, and Africa, producing
an eclectic mix that was at times ethereal, at other times pulsating.
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