Wednesday, October 19, 7:30pm, Concert Hall
Running Time: 50 minutes, followed by a discussion with the company, Dancers: 6, Premiere: 2009
Audiences can expect the unexpected when Gallim Dance performs. Since its debut in 2006, Gallim Dance has caused a stir in the world of dance and choreography. With former Batsheva Ensemble dancer Andrea Miller at the helm, this contemporary dance company has received praise after praise for each new dance. Miller’s ability to tap into primal sensations results in elegantly disciplined work. The choreographer blends playful and physical movements with subtle moments of introspection, set to indie music from different parts of the globe.
Reserved Seating: $35, $30, $15; FC, GCC, STCC and 17 & under $10
There may be some partial nudity in this performance.
“Delicious strangeness, fierce aggression, and raw beauty.” – Susan Reiter, New York PressFor the Fine Arts Center appearance the company will perform the evening-long work Blush. Blush is an invigorating work dense with emotion and physical exertion that investigates themes of intimacy, instability, and the desire of the heart and body to feel strongly. Movement that draws from Butoh and ballet is set to a collage of music ranging from Chopin to Electro Punk. As the battlefield of the dance develops six dancers covered in white paint increasingly make contact, harsh movement leads to achingly tender moments. The raw, explosive power of Blush exposes the dancers’ rosy flesh and the ecstasy of their existence.
Blush has been selected by the National Dance Project for a 2011-2012 Touring Award, which provides Gallim with meaningful support to bring Blush on tour to various cities throughout the US.
Choreography: Andrea Miller, Lighting Design: Vincent Vigilante, Costume Design: Jose Solis, Music: Mannyfingers, Andrej Przybytkowski, Chopin, Kap Bambino, Arvo Part, Wolf Parade.
Founded in 2006 by choreographer Andrea Miller, Gallim Dance is a New York City based company that quickly caught the attention of the dance community. Known for its visceral movement that creates a lasting resonance in the conscience, Gallim Dance includes an award-winning ensemble of dancers hailed for their quick wit, morphing physical quality, and technical virtuosity.
Miller’s works are simultaneously kinetic and intimate expressions of the self and its dialogue with identity, sensuality, and search of meaning. Called “gloriously quirky” by Dance Magazine and noted in The New York Times for its “visceral excitement, fervor and undeviating commitment”, the company has performed in many premiere venues and festivals including The Joyce Theater, Jacob’s Pillow, Spoleto Festival USA, New York City Center’s Fall for Dance festival, Chutzpah! Festival, Joyce SoHo, White Bird Dance, Movement Research at Judson Church, Dance Theater Workshop, Alvin Ailey Citigroup Theater, and The Juilliard Theater among others.
The company has also received support from The American Music Center, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, First Republic Bank, The Jerome Foundation, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, The Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation’s USArtists International, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, The O’Donnell-Green Music and Dance Foundation, The Princess Grace Foundation, and The Trust for Mutual Understanding.
I have to say that this is the first FAC performance that I have not enjoyed, in the many years that I have had tickets for many events each year, along with a friend of mine.
I hated it. I would have walked out if I could have. It was Dance Class 101; so much floor work that couldn’t be seen from the sight lines in the FAC, also couldn’t see from the awkward lighting, ugly moves and body contortions (were they zombies?) and since when is running in circles, dance.
The last few years you have brought wonderful, mature dance groups that have been top of the line. How did you vet this group? At first I said:”Only 50 minutes” and then I said “thank god”.
Carol K.
I hated it. I would have walked out if I could have. It was Dance Class 101; so much floor work that couldn’t be seen from the sight lines in the FAC, also couldn’t see from the awkward lighting, ugly moves and body contortions (were they zombies?) and since when is running in circles, dance?
The last few years you have brought wonderful, mature dance groups that have been top of the line. How did you vet this group? At first I said:”Only 50 minutes” and then I said “thank god”.
Carol K.
We enjoyed the performance although it was not a favorite. The dancers showed tremendous strength and technique at times but the “act” itself was not what one expects from “Gallem”
Not one of my favorite acts at the FAC that’s for sure. I liked especially the last two parts, that is, the humor in the next to last segment and the more open energy of the last. Where I normally sit, close up and just above the floor, was not the best location for once since the early movements consisted of a lot of movement low on the floor and the bright strip of light shone right in the eye. Not ideal.
This was the first performance at the FAC that I hated, and I’ve been coming for years.
First of all, to pay good money for tickets and then have one 50-minute piece seemed like a rip-off. Before the performance started, I figured it had to do with sets or something spectacular, and that therefore, the show had to be short. I was wrong.
There were a few fleeting moments of the performance that I found interesting/expressive, but for the majority of it, I thought it was boring and really annoying. The set was uninteresting, the costumes were ugly, and the dancing (while very athletic) was unoriginal and irritating. Why were we watching grown men, in black diapers, just running in circles around the stage? I do want to say that I appreciated the work that the dancers did in their obvious preparation of the choreography, but the choreography itself, the costumes, the lighting, the set (singular), and even the music were all a thumbs down for me. I do hope they will not be back.
I have attended many dance performances over the years and the Gallim Dance event was one that I found exciting, unusual and a fine example of the athleticism of the performers. I appreciated the starkness of the set and costumes which allowed one to focus on the movement of the dancers. I would have stayed for a repeat performance and have been recommending this troupe to many people. Thank you for bringing such an unusual event to the FAC!
This company, format and performance was a bit different and more challenging to get into than other FAC dance performances but I did enjoy it. I appreciated the athleticism and most of the choreography. Can’t say much for the costume design especially the men’s. Not sure I liked the lighting design either.
I hated it. All the pretentious crap that modern dance can throw at you. Not a single redeeming quality. Choreography, music, “costumes”, physicality ugh! Hope you didn’t pay much for them.
I was really impressed by this dance troupe and loved the performance. I like dance very much, and it was so different from other dance performances at FAC. The dancers themselves were amazing in their skill, energy, strength and precision. I found the music appropriate and interesting in its variety, the costumes and staging fine. The fast, staccato nature of the movements was captivating. It was a challenging performance, as one other observer has commented, but I was so glad I saw it. But then, I am interested in seeing new dance forms and actually loved the performance in the same way I love seeing Momix.
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Mind blowing performance and story that left me speechless. The FAC was so lucky to have Gallim, one of the best shows i’ve seen.
I was so happy to see Gallim at UMass. Especially after how disappointingly terrible Pilobolus turned out to be last year, it was refreshing to see an emerging choreographer with real talent take the stage. I didn’t love every second of it, but Millers work was extremely compelling and emotionally intense. She certainly didn’t lack effort or talent.
Why is there so little dance this year? This is a huge disappointment after how lovely balanced last season turned out to be.