By Brian Gray
Forge is five-part modern dance production by Cat + Fish Dances at the Dumke Black Box Theatre in the Jewett Center for Performing Arts in Salt Lake City. Running for only a single weekend, I was fortunate enough to see the production located on the Westminster College campus. This production is choreographed primarily around electronic dance music and electronica from artists such as Jaffna, Shook, ATTLAS, and others. Typically, one would expect to hear this style of music at a rave or a burning/building man-type festival, but the music becomes re-contextualized in the confined intimate space of a black box theatre paired with the elaborate choreography of Cat + Fish Dances. The music becomes mesmerizing, and the audiences finds themselves entranced by the movements onstage throughout each of the unique 10 to 15 minute pieces.
The first piece is titled “Strong Back,” and features six dancers. At times, the dancers move in sync with each other, while at other times they break off into duets, with a solo in the middle. Throughout, there are traces of ballet and improvisational-style movements. The piece seems to play with a variety of binaries: still vs. movement, solos vs. troupe, gliding vs. frenetic.
The second piece is title “Anna” and takes a very different approach in choreography. In this piece, a long white scroll with child-like markings is the central focus between the two featured dancers, Molly Cook and Connor Erickson, who wear matching outfits that resemble private school uniforms. The dancers begin on the ground, interacting with each other in a puerile curiosity before rising and performing a graceful duet featuring painfully slow single-leg rotations that requires and incredible amount of balance. By the end of the performance, they return to the scroll, but rather than drawing on the scroll, they proceed to draw on each other, symbolizing the manner in which a first love leaves an indelible impression that is carried throughout life.
The final piece of the first part is called “Soft Front.” This piece is meant to pair with the first piece, “Strong Front,” in reference to Brené Brown’s book (and philosophy) Strong Back, Soft Front, Wild Heart. “Strong Back” exhibits distinct focused movements displaying strong individuality, while this piece exhibits intense vulnerability, as it focuses around three dancers, Micah Burkhardt, Madaline Maravillas, and Ursula Perry. The dancers continually interact with one another interchangeably in varying duets before coming together at the end, where the dancers line up behind each other and, each, in turn, touch each other’s chests and collapse under each other’s touch.
The final piece of the evening, “Wild Heart,” is performed by a nine-piece ensemble. The longest of all of the dances, this piece features more solos than other dances, exhibiting the personality of each dancer. While there are many moves that stand out, the most distinct moment of this dance is a lift performed by the company in which one member is lifted from the ground and transferred around the stage by the ensemble by passing her from one to another. While she is unable to have full control of her movements, she nevertheless manages to possess control of the audience’s gaze as her body moves fluidly among the dancers.
The choreography throughout each of the pieces is at times incredibly intentional while at other times more loose and free, displaying distinct personalities of each of the dancers. At times, the audience wonders if certain portions are improvised, given the frenetic and nuanced movements at various moments. The program lists Cat Kamrath, Natalie Gotter, and Daniel Do as the choreographers (with Kamrath choreographing three out of five of the pieces), but notes that each piece is choreographed “in collaboration with the dancer”. One might conclude that while improvisation may not have been in the performance, there was likely improvisation in the composition of each performance as each dancer displays a unique method of movement that demonstrates an intimate ownership of the choreography. Examples of this occur in “Anna,” when the dancers draw on each other in a seemingly arbitrary manner; or in “Wild Heart” when some dancers break off in a frenzy before coming together again.
Overall, Forge was an incredible production and an outstanding example of modern dance. It is refreshing to see talented dancers and choreographers collaborating in innovative approaches not often seen by larger established dance companies, and to find that in Salt Lake City. The only fault I can find in Forge was its limited run of two nights: Friday and Saturday, July 19 and 20. Thankfully, as a company there are several upcoming performances that audiences should keep their eyes out for. Cat + Fish Dances have performance this weekend at the Dance in the Desert Festival in Las Vegas and performances in SLC at Sugar Space’s Sample Tracks Festival August 22 and 23. You can follow Cat + Fish Dances by visiting their website or by following their Facebook page.
Sugar Space’s Sample Tracks Festival
Sugar Space Arts Warehouse, 132 S 800 W, SLC, UT 84104
August 22-23, 8:00 PM
Tickets: $12
Sugar Space’s Sample Tracks Festival Facebook Event
Cat+Fish Dances Facebook Page
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