PREVIEW: halfway between

For dance students at Michigan, their coursework concludes not with a thesis or project, but with a concert.

halfway between, a BFA dance concert, is the culmination of four years of hard work for three students: Danielle “Dee Dee” Fattore, Yoshiko Iwai, and Callie Munn. The concert consists of solos and group work choreographed and performed by the students themselves.

The dance program consists of technique classes, mostly in ballet and modern dance, and labs in improvisation and chorography as well as coursework on the history, culture, and biomechanics of dance. This concert is the consummation of that work. As someone who has recently gained a deeper appreciation for the art of dance, I’m eager to see their performances.

halfway between runs this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (December 7, 8, and 9) at 8:00 PM at the Betty Pease Studio Theater in the Dance Building. The show runs about an hour with no intermission. Tickets are $7 general admission at the door.

PREVIEW: Violet

The University of Michigan’s School of Music, Theatre, and Dance is bringing the breathtaking musical Violet to the stage this weekend!  Violet is a beautiful story about the journey to healing for a young woman whose face was disfigured in an accident.  It’s a relatable tale of friendships, hardships, and finding beauty and hope in difficult situations.

On her journey from North Carolina to Oklahoma, Violet meets Monty and Flick, two soldiers heading to Arkansas.  Throughout the musical there are some of the most beautiful musical numbers that help tie the story together.  When Violet finally makes it to Oklahoma, she meets the preacher that she hopes will heal her disfigured face.  Will she return home healed by the preacher, or as the same person as before?

Violet will be performed at the Arthur Miller Theatre on Thursday 12/7 at 7:30pm, Friday 12/8 at 8pm, Saturday 12/9 at 2pm and 8pm, and Sunday 12/10 at 2pm.  Tickets are $20 for General Admission and $12 for Students with a valid ID.

More information can be found at: http://tickets.smtd.umich.edu/single/EventDetail.aspx?p=3355

REVIEW: Howie Day

Watching Howie Day perform was like a little kid watching a magic show.

During the climax of his opening number, “Sorry So Sorry,” he stopped playing his guitar altogether. But the music still resonated throughout the room, a full, sonorous sound that sounded like it could not possibly have come from one instrument. Was he using prerecorded music in his show? That seemed antithetical to not only what I had heard about Day’s live shows but to the venue itself, a place dedicated to stripped-down acoustic performances.

It took a few songs before I realized what he was doing. He would play a simple melody, sing a refrain, and tap out beats on the base of his guitar. He recorded it all, then layered the sounds together as he was performing to create a backing track of sorts. His flawless looping, the way he developed harmonies there on the spot using only his voice and his guitar, had to be seen to be believed.

Even after the show ended, “Sorry So Sorry” stuck with me. It was more than just the layering and looping. Day’s performance of the song was incredibly emotional and raw, something a lot of live performances lack. He took a page from the musical theatre playbook when he hit a high note with precision, then held it for several beats and let his vibrato take over. He then utilized the reverb pedal so that the sound echoed throughout the room, a move that was especially powerful in such a small venue.

Day also showcased his creativity and adaptability when unexpected trouble struck. In the middle of a performance of “Disco,” a string on his guitar broke. Because he didn’t have a backing band or a stage crew, he had to go backstage and fix it himself. When it became clear that he couldn’t finish the song, he tapped out a rhythm on his guitar and sang a small refrain from the song, then put it on repeat for the audience while he went tended to his instrument. He came back and finished the song to raucous applause.

Unlike many artists I’ve seen at The Ark, Day did very little talking in between numbers, opting to instead let the music speak for itself. He did, however, utilize musical interludes where he would layer sound upon sound, sometimes incorporating whistling or even his own whispers for a greater effect. Those interludes were as breathtaking as they were unexpected — most do not appear on his albums, and his appearance as “white man with acoustic guitar” doesn’t invoke images of innovative instrumentation.

The unexpectedness of Day’s set was part of what made it more magical. He combined the best parts of an arena concert — epic instrumentals and a sense of getting lost in the moment — with the intimacy and emotion of a small venue.

Day saved his biggest hit, “Collide,” for his final encore, opting for a more stripped-down arrangement of the song that made him famous. In holding off on “Collide,” Day was able to show the audience all he could do, then allow them to sit back and enjoy a song they already knew and loved, the cherry on top of a night I won’t be forgetting any time soon.

PREVIEW: Accidental Photographer: Seoul 1969

Stationed in Seoul as a member of the Peace Corps in 1969, U-M alumna Dr. Margaret Condon Taylor was a witness to monumental shifts in South Korean society. Accidental Photographer: Seoul 1969 opens at the Institute for the Humanities this week, and presents her color snapshots of the city for the first time in nearly 50 years.

 

 

On view December 7th – Jan 12th at the Institute for Humanities Osterman Common Room (202 S. Thayer St).

Opening reception, lecture by Assistant Professor Se-Mi Oh (Asian Languages & Cultures), and Q&A with Dr. Taylor on December 8th from 12-1 PM.

Presented by the Institute for Humanities and the Nam Center for Korean Studies. Curated by Associate Professor Youngju Ryu (Asian Languages and Cultures) and Professor David Chung (Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design).

REVIEW: Handel’s Messiah

Handel’s Messiah, an acclaimed masterpiece composed in 1741, captures the beauty of time. Performing Messiah near the holiday season became a tradition in the 18th century, and Ann Arbor’s University Musical Society (UMS) followed in suit with this treasured Christmas tradition beginning in 1879. To listen to the melodies that have been enrapturing audiences for centuries enkindled in me a sense of wonderment. It was surreal to be a part of something so marvelously timeless. This is a cultural experience every student must have.

Hill Auditorium, the setting for the evening’s performance, was impeccable. The auditorium alone is beautiful with its intricate architecture, lighting, and gold accents. Even more, last night the venue was adorned in poinsettias reaching from one side of the stage to the other as a giant Christmas wreath hung above the heads of the Choral Union.

The male soloists that introduced the oratorio possessed powerful voices that resonated throughout the auditorium. Messiah opened with melismatic and operatic musical pieces. I was captivated by watching the vocalists because it appeared as if they were employing every part of their bodies to produce such sounds. I was impressed by their ability to stay on pitch despite the profusion of complex note changes, but they stood grounded with their posture and prowess.

The orchestra sounded exactly how you would imagine it to sound in your head. Constituted of nothing less than accomplished players, their musicianship was controlled and influential. You can likely conceptualize the image now: an expressive conductor directing the volume and timing of the strings of the violins, then turning his body towards the stand-up basses as they add another layer of depth to the music.

Perhaps the most-anticipated component of Handel’s Messiah, the “Hallelujah” chorus, proved to be miraculous in every way. Only ever having heard it in brief segments during movie clips or comedy skits, I yearned to hear the piece in its entirety. To conclude the second part, the audience stood and sang along with the Choral Union and the venue filled with the sounds of joy. I now recognize why Handel’s Messiah is and continues to be a timeless tradition. It reminds us of peace and of faith.

REVIEW: Michigan’s Best Dance Crew

All reality shows have an opening number, and Michigan’s Best Dance Crew was no different, kicking off with the emcees lip-syncing to The Cheetah Girls. That’s when I knew it was going to be good.

The show was an hour and a half of unadulterated fun. Each crew — all student-run and choreographed — had a different flavor, making for a well-rounded and entertaining event. Here’s a peek at my judging sheet*:

*I was not an official judge for the event

Dance 2XS (pronounced “To Success”) were a great start to the competition. The hip-hop crew was poised and energetic. They weren’t as flashy as some of the groups that followed, nor did they break out a lot of big tricks, but the eventual third-place winners still made an impact. They didn’t stand out as much as some of the other groups, but they had no real weaknesses either and set the tone for the rest of the night.

Michigan Izzat fuses hip-hop with the traditional Indian styles of Bhangra and Bollywood. I had no idea what to expect, but I ended up loving them.  You could tell from their performance that they genuinely enjoyed every moment up on that stage, and I thought the way they combined the styles worked really well. They didn’t place, making them my biggest snub of the night, but that fact truly speaks to the level of all the crews that performed.

Impact Dance brought it with a sassy jazz medley. I couldn’t take my eyes off one particular girl. She was front and center through most of the number, and her flawless technique, poise, and personality really carried the piece. One of the hardest parts of jazz is getting turns and leaps in sync, and Impact struggled with that at times, though their performance quality was good enough that it was quickly forgiven.

EnCore is one of the more popular crews on campus, and here they showed why, taking home second place from the judges as well as the People’s Choice Award. From the moment they walked out onstage in personalized black jackets, you could tell they were a force to be reckoned with. EnCore stood out because of their polish, difficult moves, and technique, and their number left the audience cheering.

FunKtion hip-hop crew blew me away with their innovative choreography. Their music was a medley of hip-hop, R&B, house, and even EDM songs. They incorporated traditional hip-hop moves as well as animation and breakdance and made it flow seamlessly, impressing the judges enough to win them the grand prize. FunKtion wasn’t quite as synchronized or polished as EnCore, but their passion for dance was clear at every moment, and they get bonus points for ending their routine with jazz hands.

Cadence gave the audience a completely different look with their contemporary number. I was impressed by their choreography, as often contemporary numbers start to feel like a mere series of leg extensions. This wasn’t the case for Cadence, whose dance really told a story. The emotion of the choreography was occasionally betrayed in some of the dancers’ faces, but for the most part, they sold their emotional piece, and it carried them to a third-place tie.

The party didn’t end there. While the judges tallied the votes, members of Michigan Izzat, FunKtion, and Dance 2XS came onstage for a freestyle dance battle. FunKtion captivated with their popping and ultimately won the largest share of the applause, the cherry on top of their overall win.

Michigan’s Best Dance Crew was one of the most fun on-campus events I’ve been to this year. If it’s renewed for another season, I’ll be back, and you should come, too.