No Need for Interpreters--They Danced, Slask!

Niezwykle niesamowite!  Nie byliśmy gotowi do opuszczenia.  

Extremely awesome! We were not ready to leave.

by MartinThomas and Helene Vidovich

comments by Mary Thomas

Gladys Bailin, Martin’s dance instructor, used to tell him, "Stand up straight and look like a man.” Someone must have passed that bit of advice on to the Polish men.



In the first stop on their US tour, the performance of Slask, by the Song & Dance Ensemble of Poland, was quite amazing. 60 years ago, Stanislaw Hadyna started a company that would research and preserve Polish folk music, dance and costuming. One can only imagine the additional effect if we had been able to understand the lyrics. Based on our reactions to the other performance elements, one is tempted to learn Polish. There were over 1500 costumes for a troupe of 80. That is more than an average of 18 changes each. Some of the members were in the orchestra and/or performed on stage and some were mainly singers. Others sang while they danced and many were quite versatile in song and dance and appeared in a variety of the 29 selections. The show was sculpted from the musical overture, to the entrance of the dancers, and on, as the skirts flashed layers of colors when the women would spin, turn or twirl.



There were many "wow" moments from the use of costuming alone. Much of the clothing and head-dress or hats had several aspects and seemed to signify different cultural regions. The outside of the outfits might be ornate, have a layer of lace or embroidery, with the underside revealing a vivid red, lush lavender or robin egg blue. And then, there were the exquisite multi-layers of petticoats. The broad circling movements of the women manipulated aspects of their costumes that revealed the deep hues or stripes of different colors and patterns. Socks were sometimes added as contrasting layers.

A single decorative banner was displayed center-rear stage throughout the performance. The dancers would alternate facial expressions independently or en masse; they did not need the use of any sets or scrim to attract our attention. The view from the audience kept evolving, ebbing and flowing both in the scene and as a show. We knew it was the finale before the intermission and then again at the end.



As with most great music done with such efficiency, one is usually surprised how few parts there are. We were shocked at intermission when we looked in the orchestra pit and saw a minimal number of chairs and music stands. It sounded like a full orchestra. Also during intermission, we wondered how they could continue so exuberantly through another half -- especially in costuming. When the troupe came out in formal wear it made us smile and think, "that's how." Most of the songs were uplifting and enjoyable. The music was joyous, yet serious. Occasionally, the troupe would feature a soloist or duets that were sometimes done in a minor key, dark and dramatic. Red lights and shadows readied our hearts. It was a wonderful contrast.

The traditional tunes convey a sense of the traditions from the green pastures of Beskids Mountains and steep peaks of Tatras Mountains. Over the years, Śląsk have visited 44 countries on five continents and performed over seven thousand concerts to an audience of over 25 million. They performed for Pope John Paul II who was a patron of the troupe, and performed for him in the Vatican.



There was some extremely fast foot-stepping. The men had it tough on their knees dancing so low to the floor, kicking out and bending to-and-fro. One man even jumped using his own arm as the “rope!” You had to see it. The evening was similar to a day at an amusement park — lively, invigorating, lush with color, sights and sounds. We were not ready to leave when it was over. As Mary Thomas said, "Poland sent us their very best!"

Not professional reviewers just everyday Pittsburghers availing themselves of Pittsburgh Cultural and Dance Events by as Mark Freeman says,  "Being a Tourist in their Hometown."

Helene Vidovich, Freelance Cultural Reporter

Martin Thomas, Videographer ~ Troubadour

Journey through the Mystical with Vertical Road b Akram Khan Company

Review by Helene Vidovich and Martin Thomas

Vertical Road, by Akram Khan Company was a journey through the mystical. Using only a scrim and backlight, one dancer's shadow started the audience down the primordial path. What was this Whirling Dervish so frantically writhing, sending shimmers of shadow and light up and down the scrim – the Book of Life, a poem by Rumi? 

Vertical Road Photo By: Richard Haughton

Lights up, scrim down, statues/dancers frozen, one moving figure and a set of runes -- we watched as the dancers were frozen, or prayed, or waited, discovered, disagreed, failed or eventually grew.

The troupe explored or helped us search our psyches. For example: the on-again off-again relationships of the "teacher-apprentice," the "lovers," the "life of prayer and mindful intentions" or "meditation while waiting for the path to open," and the "embrace of the shadow." A path opens a moment ~ closes, and later reopens. The false starts reflect how we as humans have opportunities to grow. At times, we make bad choices, which close the door. We must go back to reflect, which can eventually, reopen the door.

The ensemble moved with such synchronicity, it appeared they were even breathing together. It reminded Martin of the funny-mirrors at the carnival where one subject appears in a variety of shapes all at once; moving fluidly about the stage. And, Helene associated their twirling segment with the Olympic synchronized swimming event or an old Busby Berkeley film. At times they would sit in prayer as a Sangha, or freeze standing like statues. Another effect used what appeared to be dust from statues that broke into real life people. This gave the illusion of the iconic becoming alive after long periods of hibernation.

The music and sounds, like the stage, were minimalistic. But, much was lost as the bass drum, and occasional other sounds, were so loud that earplugs were used which blurred some of the more subtle sonic interplay. Are the bass drum half notes really 10-20 db more important than the violin section?

Overall, Akram Khan Company was quite exciting and seemed to be telling my story. (Martin)

It was my story. (Helene)

I thought it was mine. (Martin)


As our reviewers agree to disagree it can be said that the Vertical Road was a huge success.

Helene Vidovich, Freelance Cultural Reporter

Martin Thomas, Videographer ~ Troubadour

Audience Says, "Ouch" as STREB Performs Very Physical Dance

Audience Says, "Ouch" as STREB Performs 

 Very Physical Dance

Giant steel beam seesaw

by

Helene Vidovich and Martin Thomas

We go to the theater to be transported from our seats into the imagination of the artists.
Dance in the age of digital media is different than that of Martha Graham or the NYC Ballet.  The use of video feeds and files, computers and projectors changes the focus. I didn't know whether to look at what the projector was displaying, what the dancers were doing or at their silhouettes on the back screen.

Elizabeth Mitchell
Streb Choreographer

Streb, aka known as the Evil Knieval of dance, is a bang-up exhibition of acrobatic tumbles, jumps and flat-out face-down, or face-up, slams onto a mat.  Streb with her cast from the tough streets of Brooklyn, tries to exploit "extreme action." They called their pieces "action events." I kept saying, "ow, that had to hurt!"   Some examples: Doing the "Limbo" with a spinning I beam suspended from a chain -- jumping from 10 feet, 20 feet, even 30 feet face down onto the mats -- hanging bound, while upside down, from a rope panicking -- "flying" by use of a giant steel-beam see-saw on a turntable -- writhing in an open ended box suspended from the ceiling.  

The sets: raw metal, chains, brick, mats and the workout wardrobe, were matched with industrial sounds of a loud bass rumble.  There was also a turntable within a turntable made up of mats on the floor, that were used with camera feeds projected with great effect.  Another event had a large diagonal mat where the cast log-rolled with, and over each other. These action events, brought to mind childhood times and playground fun.  

Some of their pieces were more traditional modern dance-like and very gratifying.  One had a backdrop of a spinning planet while the dancers appeared to fly over it suspended in harnesses.  Another, my favorite, "Anti-gravity,"  had the dancers flat on the floor with an overhead camera feed projecting their images onto the backdrop, making them appear weightless on a distant planet.  This "action event" had the audience in awe, like children watching fire works.  All in all, Streb did transport us from our seats into their imaginations. But, ouch! some of those falls had to hurt.

Helene Vidovich, Freelance Cultural Reporter

Martin Thomas, Videographer ~ Troubadour