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Rita Kohn
Performance Reviews
Modern/Contemporary
Indiana Repertory Theatre
United States
Indiana
Indianapolis, IN

Dance Kaleidoscope's Piaf Plus a Bouquet of Stories

by Rita Kohn
March 15, 2013
Indiana Repertory Theatre
140 W. Washington Street
Indianapolis, IN 46204
(317) 635-5252
This review was originally published in NUVO Newsweekly, Indianapolis, IN.

Rita Kohn is a member of the Board of the Dance Critics Association.
Interweaving pizzazz with introspection, Dance Kaleidoscope dancers zipped through ten songs by Jacques Brel and twelve by Edith Piaf. Each is a mini-drama; together they provided a landscape of humanity, connecting us with matters of the heart, soul and not so nice sectors of life.

Within a bouquet of stories, the standout during opening night was "Mon Dieu" [My God], a supplication for the holding on of a lover whose imminent death engendered wishes for more time to tie it all together. It seemed fitting during this season of renewal and redemption to reflect on how we never seem to have the fullness of time we need to say all the I love you's, to praise the small moments of joyful sharing or to smooth the bumpy events. Jillian Godwin and Zach Young brought pathos and hopefulness to the prayer, zeroing in beyond the universality to the personal.

In the configuration of a changing roster of dancers, it's great fun watching the growth of the four returning for their second season and the breadth of leadership within the seven veterans. Because George Salinas had become so linked to the role of Brel's high-jumping, in-your-face Jackie, there was a bit of trepidation with someone else taking on the challenge—yet Zach Young dared and made the character his own, bringing different insights to bravado.

With nuanced changes from previous performances, this double-bill program throughout allowed emphasis on intricate footwork and powerful emotional interfacing. Meaningful engagement isn't just a concept; it's a physical action growing from an inner force that DK's dancers willingly shared, opening themselves to vulnerability in ever-changing configurations.

Lighting by Laura E. Glover and costumes by Cheryl Sparks as always interface perfectly with David Hochoy's choreography.
Dance Kaleidoscope dancers in 'Piaf Plus'.

Dance Kaleidoscope dancers in "Piaf Plus".

Photo © & courtesy of Crowe's Eye Photography


Dance Kaleidoscope dancers in 'Piaf Plus'.

Dance Kaleidoscope dancers in "Piaf Plus".

Photo © & courtesy of Crowe's Eye Photography


Dance Kaleidoscope dancers in 'Piaf Plus'.

Dance Kaleidoscope dancers in "Piaf Plus".

Photo © & courtesy of Crowe's Eye Photography

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