It is the body that dances; however, it is the heart that truly performs. If art is the expression of emotions through the tangible, then dancing has always been one of the most powerful forms of artistic expression.
In its 29th year, the Zodiaque Dance Company continues to be a source of pride for UB's dance department. Their spring dance concert, "Ladies On Stage," which opened Feb. 14, is a manifesto of the heart and its limitless capacity.
Active in the community as well as on campus, Zodiaque Dance Company provides dancers with professional experience by setting consistently high performance standards. Dancers admitted to the company must audition each year, to which its director, Tom Ralabate, attributes the all-female composition of this year's group.
"[Men] need to be at the same proficiency as the women," Ralabate said, "and we didn't find that this year at the auditions."
Zodiaque used the homogeneity to its advantage, deciding to focus on woman-oriented themes. "Ladies On Stage" is a diverse collection of pieces illustrating the power of human emotions and their meaning in dance.
Contributing to the performance are three special guests: Damien Simon, a Buffalo native and classical guitarist, who composed the music for several of the pieces and performs on stage with his guitar; and guest choreographers Kerry Ring and Stacy Zawadzki.
When it comes to working with the special guests, the student dancers recognise the value of the opportunity.
"It was really intense," said Robin Thompson, a third-year company member. "We get a good perspective on what's currently going on in the field."
The show's eight separate pieces highlight the company's ability to shift easily between styles, including ballet, jazz, tap and modern. Costumes in rainbow colors and the use of brilliant colors to light the stage create fantastic visuals as the dancers paint the stage with their nimble bodies.
"Firm Ground," the show's second piece, exhibits the relationship between people and the ground. At one corner of the dark stage a spotlight displays two dancers leaning toward another, who supports them by their ankles and other body parts. With a smooth movement of her hands, the once-supporting dancer lets them collapse to the ground.
They repeat the movement several times at different locations on stage, the number of dancers increasing with each consecutive movement of the spotlight, until they become one dancing mass.
An exotic beat set to chanting brings the silent stage to life. One dancer dominates, parting others as she passes through, dancing over those on the ground. The energy continues to mount, modern club music synchronised flawlessly with the dancers body rhythms commands the audience's attention and awe.
In "The Hardest Step," a piece featuring Simon, the dancers support and compliment each other's bodies. Coupled dancers struggle to move away from each other, reaching for something they cannot touch and struggling to take the hardest step.
Focusing on the aftermath of one of the more devastating moments in American history, "September The Twelfth" brought tears to the eyes of many in the audience.
Dressed in flowing and tattered costumes the color of ash, the dancers moved slowly with sorrow, representing the inescapable heaviness of September's events. Still bodies lay across the stage; others were being dragged. Dancers with anguished faces and burdened bodies raised their arms to the sky in question and prayer as chaos unfolds around them.
With their backs turned to the audience they raise an American flag above their heads and walk slowly towards the back of the stage. When the lights rise again the same dancers are present but their tatters are gone, and they dance and wave the flag with renewed freedom and hope, illustrating our emergence as new people in the wake of tragedy.
"The Cycle of Love" brought an affecting evening of dance to its culmination. Choreographed to the music of Dave Matthews, Fred Durst, Stevie Ray Vaughn and Etta James, the piece demonstrated the uplifting power of love and the excitement of new emotions. Hip-swivelling acrobatic displays of endless energy assured the audience that the women of the Zodiaque Dance Company are giving it all they've got.
"I think it's harder to perform in front of your peers," said Maia Evwaraye-Griffin. "I tend to have to prove myself when I perform."
"Ladies On Stage"
Zodiaque Dance Company
Center for the Arts
Feb. 21-23 at 8 p.m.
Feb. 24 at 2 p.m.
$12 General Public, $5 UB Students
