‘Off the Page’ Pushes Boundaries

The Harvard-Radcliffe Dance Company pushed the envelope of exploratory dance last week in their fall performance, “Off the Page.” The show, which took place Friday in the Adams House Pool Theatre, featured 11 short but intense pieces of contemporary dance. Works of literature, ranging from “One Hundred Years of Solitude” to “Goodnight Moon,” inspired each dance. Elizabeth A. Miller ’09 and Julia K. Lindpaintner ’09 served as both directors and producers of “Off the Page.”

The Adams House Pool Theatre served as an intimate atmosphere for the show, with enough breathing room for all, but hardly a spare seat in the room. A black-cloth backdrop and simple lighting allowed the audience to focus on the movement of the dancers. Out of the 11 pieces, the standouts were “Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair,” “Eat Pray Love,” and “Teanga Eile/Second Tongue.”

“Twenty Love Poems” featured Daniela F. Joffe ’10 and Merritt A. Moore ’10 in a ballet-inspired dance (choreographed by Joffe) that showcased their skill and stage presence. The accompaniment of pop musician Sia Furler’s “Breathe Me” perfectly complemented the movements, with appropriate intensity to match the passionate dance. The interaction between Moore and Joffe was sensual as they executed graceful balletic moves. Impressively, Moore’s poise was so thorough that the slightest flick of her wrist seemed full of beauty and purpose.

Holly Rollins, a student at the Graduate School of Education, exhibited incredible strength and flexibility as the dancer and choreographer of “Eat Pray Love.” As the stage lights went up, the audience encountered a large metal hoop suspended from the ceiling. This was the first and only prop of the evening. Dressed in a skintight black bodysuit, Rollins seamlessly moved through a series of contortions reminiscent of her performances with “Cirque du Soleil.” This included flipping in and out of the hoop, hanging by her feet, and spinning wildly with her legs extended. Although it must have taken a significant amount of strength, Rollins made the entire performance seem effortless.

A spoken-word piece by Gearóid Mac Lachlainn provided the audio for Kit Tempest’s choreography of “Teanga Eile/Second Tongue.” MengYuan “Amily” He ’11 and Joffe wore black leotards and tights with a white rope snaked around their bodies. Their modern performance was well-controlled and precisely executed, alternating choppy motions with free-flowing moves.

Surprising moments of harmony characterized several of the evening’s other performances. “Through the Looking Glass” (choreographed by Patrick H. Quinn ’10) was a happy and carefree piece, featuring Miller and Beth G. Shields ’10 in jeans and casual shirts. Their quick and light movements paired with Death Cab for Cutie’s “Crooked Teeth” was an unusual combination that was quite pleasant. Similarly, the free flowing hair and sarong-style skirt of Marin J.D. Orlosky ’07-’08, who is also a Crimson staff writer, in “Cavedweller” (choreographed by Joshua Legg) was an unexpectedly relaxed costume choice for the highly skilled and sensual movements that she executed.

The show concluded with an improvisational performance. The program informed the audience that prior to Friday night’s performance, the dancers had not heard the music of this piece. A Cantonese-language version of disco classic “YMCA” poured out of the speakers, and the entire cast began to move.

In the beginning, the dancers were focused on their own movements. The result was a mishmash of motions, from slow rolling around on the floor to precise ballet poses. Partway through the song, many dancers re-converged to climb up a pole on the stage and extended their arms to the dancers on the floor, while others continued to roll and jump about the stage. Overall, the improvisation was awkward, and this comical, scatterbrained section was a slightly unsettling conclusion to the precisely structured show that preceded it.

Nevertheless, on the whole, “Off the Page” demonstrated the fluidity of dance as an art form, progressing from classical ballet to gymnastic modern movements with ease. The show was entertaining to watch, and featured a diversity of skilled choreography and performance.