Audience Reviews

AUDIENCE REVIEW: Belinda McGuire

Company:
Belinda McGuire

Performance Date:
Oct. 3, 2008

Company
Belinda McGuire

Show / Event Name
Desert Island Project

Performance Date
Oct. 3, 2008

Venue / Location
303 Bond St

Your Occupation:
choreographer/dancer

Last time you moved your body:
Saturday

Have you ever seen this company/ before?
Tell us a bit about your history with this group/performer?
I have seen Belinda perform with Doug Varone and dancers. I have also taken Belinda's classes at DNA.

Why did you go to the show? What did you expect to see?
I went to this show to support Belinda. I expected to see a solo show. 

What was your favorite moment(s)? What inspired you?
The last piece, Til 120 choreographed by McGuire herself incorporated Orange and Black balloons that were symbolic for a new location. Ms McGuire would repeat a phrase that was recognizable when she let go a balloon into the air as if to say this is me in a different location.  

Describe as plainly and as specifically as you can what you actually saw. We are going for description without judgement.
There is no need for complete sentences, phrases and word lists are fine. You can describe these elements or anything you can think of: the artists, the kinds of movement, the qualities of the movement, the use of the stage/space, the musicality/timing...
There were four distinct pieces & one preshow "film" of shadow images of Belinda and her physical being warming up onstage.
Curvy, large, expansive movement quality.
The effective use of simple props such as an apple in Temptation? and balloons in Til 120
Engaging focus

Do any images, colors or feelings pop into your head when you think about this show?
In Fable, I kept thinking of a stream, creek, or any large body of water. The costume was a robe-like white dress that was flowy but I kept picturing Belinda dancing her solo in water and wading thru it. Almost slyph-like.

Describe any or all of these elements: music, lighting, the venue. - How did they contribute (or not) to your enjoyment of this performance?
The venue was very spacious and gave it a sense of expansion. It is very fitting that McGuire chose this particular space b/c her movement takes on a larger than life persona.  The lighting was simple and timed perfectly to the start and end of the pieces.

Would you like to see this performance / company again? Would you recommend it to a friend?
Why or why not?
I would recommend this show to a fellow dancers. Its not very common these days to have a one-woman show in dance. The challenge that it poses deters most choreographers but when done successfully it can be very effective.

What would you like to have seen more of? Less of?
The third piece was rather long and upon overhearing conversations from other audience members, it could be a little shorter and more effective.

If you could, what would you ask the choreographer / dancers?
How did you come to the decision that you wanted to run the entire performance run entirely on your own?