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The 14th Annual Festival of Dance
March 30th, 2009 by winna
Unfortunately the show is now over but now is the time to reminisce. Prior to seeing Friday’s performances, I had high expectations since this year’s Festival Of Dance is its 14th year. The FOD certainly delivered. From the vast repertoire of dance styles to the stories each told or the emotions each piece inspired - I left feeling enlightened. The set production was fairly primitive but ultimately that was the only way to go. Lighting was really the only fixture used to accentuate each piece besides the music and of course the dance itself. There was one piece where they used a ladder but I didn’t pay as much attention to the use of the ladder as to the many dancers.
I am no dancer but for the most part I liked what I saw and there were a few performances I found truly exceptional. In the final piece, Sera De Rubeis danced a very acrobatic solo piece showcasing her incredible flexibility, agility and grace. Her body moved in ways I didn’t even know it could move and her amazing talent is fitting for something like So You Think You Can Dance Canada.
Other notable performances include another solo performance by Janet Li who danced an East Asian influenced piece. Her beauty and elegance was truly mesmerizing. Lastly I would like to add, are all the Classical Indian dances which were primarily performed solo and each telling a different tale. Each movement in those dances (such as its hand gestures) held specific meaning which delighted the crowd, since a short explanation of some movements was given prior to one of the dances. The reason I only mention solo pieces is because I found them more interesting than group dances because I could focus more on the details of the dance.
All in all, I found every piece unique and memorable in its own right. Each struck a different chord in me. If anything I walked away from Festival of Dance realizing more how the impact that dance can have not just on the dancers themselves but on all of us. No matter if you’re young or old, skinny or fat, naturally talented or left-footed - dance is for anyone and everyone.
picture from Hart House Theatre
