bww review: dance in america - a musical and dance … · finale was a glorious version of george...
TRANSCRIPT
Los Angeles
SearchLos Angeles Sections Shows Chat Boards Jobs Students Video Industry
BWW Review: DANCE IN AMERICA - AMUSICAL AND DANCE TRIBUTE TOAMERICAN COMPOSERS - MARINACONCERT at Burton Chase Parkby Valerie-Jean Miller Aug. 7, 2019
July 25, 2019
The best and most satisfying way to beat the heat andbe delightfully entertained on a boiling hot summerday in the San Fernando Valley is to head to Marina delRey, to Burton Chase Park on a designated Thursdayto see and hear an exciting orchestra play, take in thelovely surroundings, breathe in the gentle breeze andwatch dancers bring alive the superb orchestralofferings.
The L A County Supervisor Janice Hahn and TheDepartment of Beaches and Harbors has beenpresenting these wonderful concert gatheringsfor many years now, and each year they topthemselves. With the amazing and animatedFrank Fetta as Artistic Director and Conductor,the fabulous Marina del Rey Orchestra andNancy Dobbs Owen, who provided thebreathtaking choreography for the evening wewere treated to an incredible program of musicand dance.
The program began as the sun began to set in these beautiful surroundings with IgorStravinsky's (A Russian immigrant who lived in Los Angeles most of his years) TheFirebird Suite. Before the downbeat, Mr. Fetta recounted his own interesting workingexperience with Stravinsky here in Los Angeles.
It begins in a minor key, with themelody slowly coming in, a very hushedbeginning, that the violins shatter withcacophony; pizzicato sounds, plucking,when flutes, cellos and bass join in witharpeggios and glissandos, a flute takinga solo, a cello and piccolo join thesmooth violins in a very soothingsection, the changes in tempo andintensity occurring when you leastexpect it. It goes from adding morewind instruments to a harp playingbroken chords, into a full orchestraplaying an adagio tempo that growsfuller and fuller, the cellos and bassintensely vibrato... until a big explosivesound; the strings pizzicato the accents and the trumpets and winds answer them, axylophone then sets the allegro melody... it is a cornucopia of rhythms, tempos andemotions swirling together harmoniously and gloriously. Such depth and dynamics tothis story, this piece... It is so exciting hearing it and seeing them play it, live.
Hot Stories
Reviews: INTO THE WOODSat the Hollywood Bowl
EXCLUSIVE: Inside RehearsalFor INTO THE WOODS at theHollywood Bowl
Photos: Inside OpeningNight of INTO THE WOODSat the Hollywood Bowl
THE LAST SHIP AnnouncesAdditional Tour Dates
Adam Pascal to Star in 5-StarTheatricals' THE MUSIC MAN
BroadwayWorld TV
LOS ANGELES SHOWS
Choice Beverly Hills Playhouse (9/7 -
9/29) PHOTOS
VIDEOS CAST
(mostly)musicals:DOG DAYS ofSummer Upstairs at Vitello's (8/12 -
8/12) PHOTOS
The Mousetrap Theatre Palisades (8/30 -
10/6)
Two Rooms Assembly Theatre Co.
Tweet Share TBT: FIRST DATE Makes Its First Impression OnBroadway!
Shows
Reviews
News
Interviews
Photos
Video
Log In RegisterWest End Off-Broadway United States International Entertainment
The second piece was entitled "Sirens," a WorldPremiere, composed by Craig Safan, sectionsfrom his "Odysseys," inspired by his love of "TheOdyssey." Collaborating with Nancy DobbsOwen, the Choreographer, they decided uponthree movements from the entire selection,which were cohesive in bringing the vision of ajourney where individuals fight for connectionand love and ultimately find a path throughlife's storms together. After going through the
last few days of gun massacres by disturbed individuals, this seems the perfect messageto spread far and wide.
The piece was beautifullychoreographed and performed by eightradiant and skillful dancers. Theydanced interpretively, giving us a senseof the emotions and convictionsexpressed through the music andtheme. Modern dance in style, it hadmovements combined on the floor, inthe air, side-by-side, in sections, thattruly made us feel the emotions they
were conveying. The Orchestra and the Dancerswere so "in tune" with each other, it heightenedthe visual experience. The vocalists added moremusic to our ears, Soprano Emily Dyer andBass-Baritone Johann Schram Reed. Besides ashowcase of their excellent, strong technique,the dancers danced with passion and joy, withmany lovely lifts and inspiring terpsichore galore. The music was very moving and lentto the athletic choreography with it's intricacy and defined accents.
The costumes were simple, effective, with a nice color scheme and worked beautifully toshowcase all of the dancers lines and movements; designed by Nancy Dobbs Owen andSylvie Gosse.
The wonderful dancers were Kate Coleman, Michael Tomlin III, the two lead dancers,and Darby Epperson, Sarah Gomez, Eryn Orsburn, Jacob Byrd, JM Rodriguez andSpencer Ramirez.
You can't salute American Composers without these last two composers.
After intermission, we were treated to music by Aaron Copeland, the "Dean" of AmericanComposers; Four Dance Episodes from "Rodeo," again, played marvelously by the
1 StubHub™ - Original Site - 100% StubHub™ - Original Site - 100% Guaranteed by FanProtect™Guaranteed by FanProtect™
At StubHub tickets are never sold out. Get tickets at StubHub now.stubhub.com
2 Buy Online & SaveBuy Online & Save
Buy Online & Feel the Darker Side of Magic Take Hold at UniversalStudios Hollywood. Universal Studios L.A.
Browse All Shows
performing at The Little
Victory Theatre (8/2 - 8/18)
PHOTOS
The Little DogLaughed The Reef DTLA (8/6 - 8/11)
PHOTOS VIDEOS
CAST
VIEW ALL ADD A SHOW AUDITIONS
Los Angeles Email Alerts
Get the latest news, photos & more.
E-mail address Sign up
Ticket Central
COME FROM AWAY
BE MORE CHILL
WAITRESS
BEAUTIFUL
Trending Now on BWW TV
Video: Meet the Worst Witches in…Video: Meet the Worst Witches in…Go To Ar t ic leGo To Ar t ic le
More VideosMore Videos
See the Trailer forSee the Trailer for42nd STREET42nd STREETComing to CinemasComing to CinemasWatch VideoWatch Video
TV Exclusive:TV Exclusive:Sondheim &Sondheim &Weidman Tell theWeidman Tell theStory of… Story of… Watch VideoWatch Video
Marina del Rey Symphony. So much visuallycomes alive, in his music. He uses everyinstrument in the orchestra in each of theirmost useful ways, which is an art in itself... suchdescriptive composing of each related-to-a-certain sound instrumental section is vividlymagnified aurally and imagination-wise. Makesfor a great listening experience.
Thegrandfinale was a glorious version of GeorgeGershwin's "An American In Paris," and indeedgrand it was. The Orchestra was superb withFrank Fetta again at the helm, and the dancersperformed with jubilance and technicalaccuracy in the 25-minute long ballet. Thetheme was clearly about love, celebrating it, and
life's endless possibilities, when your heart is open to it.
The dancers were resplendently attired, and their intricate steps were matched only bythe exuberance and the wide-open energy they brought, while executing an amazingamount of beautiful and unique lifts. Being fueled by such masterfully constructedmusic, they danced their hearts out. The ladies danced in heels, but nonetheless werevery balletic in movement with beautiful lines.The choreography was clean, as in double toursen la air and pirouettes by all the men, theladies were in unison with their lovely port debras, phrasing, pirouettes and being a stronglifting partner for the men, hitting posesaltogether.
The two lead dancers, Aria Alekzander, vibrantin yellow and en pointe, and Spencer Ramirez,were the main thread of the story, a youngcouple falling in love. They both did pas de deux together, each took a solo turn or two,and each were outstanding in their performances. Beautiful, strong fouettes andpirouetting penches from Aria Alekzander, and gorgeous leaps and jetes, quadruplepirouettes from Spencer Ramirez.
The dancers worked well together, and the choreography fit perfectly with the musicalaccents and exciting transitions in this exquisite musical selection. There are so many
Recommended for You
Photo Flash: Get a First Lookat Ben Platt in THEPOLITICIAN on Netflix
Everything You Need toKnow About the CATS Movie!
How Can You Score Tix toHERCULES? The PublicAnnounces Lottery
Broadway Press Agent BobUllman Passes Away at 97
Register NowBe a Broadway Insider and Get
Discounts, Specials & More!
Enter Your Email
SubscribeSubscribe
Around the Broadway WorldNew Jersey: Von Essen, Margherita, & MoreLead CHASING RAINBOWS at Paper Mill
San Francisco: Photos: Cast Announced forSF's CURSED CHILD, Now in Rehearsals
Norway: SIX To Hit The High Seas On
View More Los Angeles Stories Shows
BWW Interview: MarkWinkler Talks CDRelease Party August23
jazz Chanteuse NikiHaris Set To Appear InHollywood, San Diego,And Palm Springs
Stephanie RaeWilliams To Feature InBALASOLE At Ailey's
Saturday Night'sAlright With The MusicOf Elton John! AtPasadena Pops
Valerie-Jean Miller
different moods and styles, where again, thechoreography completely complimented themusic, made it come alive, so to speak. It buildsand builds and builds and all of it was sopleasurable to behold! The dancers' joy inperforming this was contagious!
Costumes for "An American In Paris" weredesigned by Nancy Dobbs Owen, who woremany hats in this production, as she did lastyear as well. Kudos for all your hard, dedicatedwork!
This is my review of the wonderful concert fromlast year that Ms. Owen and Frank Fetta collaborated on for the first time: /los-angeles/article/Bww-Review-BERNSTEIN-AT-100-Symphonic-And-Choreographic-Lushness-By-The-Sea-At-Burton-Chase-Park-20180803
It was a beautiful evening and event, and there are a few more similar events coming upbefore the end of August that you can attend. For information go to:culvercitysymphony.org.
Photos by Heidi Marie and GingerSole Photography.
Related Articles
From This AuthorBWW Review: DANCE IN AMERICA - A Musical And Dance Tribute To American Composers - Marina
1 Tensor!ow Conference - Best Tensor!ow Conference - Best Price Ends Friday.Price Ends Friday.
Explore the latest developments from research to production withusers the world over. conferences.oreilly.com
2 9 Well Paid Writing Jobs9 Well Paid Writing Jobs
Copywriting is Fun & Easy to Learn. Get Paid Well to Do What YouLove Barefoot Writer
Norwegian Cruise Line
Chicago: SIX to Return to Chicago inSummer 2020
Boston: XANADU Tour Announces AdditionalCasting and Dates
Denver: Renee Fleming Becomes ArtisticDirector of Aspen Opera Program
Australia - Melbourne: SIX to Bring theHisto-Remix to Australia
St. Louis: Photos: The Muny's MATILDADoesn't Let Little Stop Them
San Diego: WEST SIDE STORY Comes to TheMoonlight
Concert At Burton Chase Park
BWW Review: RENNIE HARRIS' PUREMOVEMENT... FUNKEDIFIED FUNKIFICATION! at The FordTheatre
BWW Review: ROMEO & JULIET Inhabits Hollywood at The Hollywood Bowl
BWW Review: FALLA & FLAMENCO. FASCINATING RHYTHMS at The Hollywood Bowl
Follow Us
Apps
BWW Sister Sites Around the World
TV/MOVIES
MUSIC
CLASSICAL MUSIC
DANCE
OPERA
BROADWAY SHOWS
REVIEWS
TOURS
LOCAL SHOWS
DISCOUNTS
AUDITIONS
CLASSIFIEDS
VIDEO
STUDENT CENTER
DATABASE
Advertising Info Contact Us Join the Team Submit News Privacy Policy Report Error© 2019 Wisdom Digital Media