AUDIENCE REVIEW: The Unfolding Scene (each time we meet)
Company:
David Appel
Performance Date:
April 13, 2024
Freeform Review:
David Appel’s The Unfolding Scene (each time we meet), presented at Greenspace, was a thoughtful exploration of the possibilities that emerge when individuals meet in a shared space, only to reveal the delicate tension between individuality and collective creation. The piece, choreographed by Appel in collaboration with the dancers, weaves improvised and set material, along with verbal elements and soundscapes, into a dance that feels organic yet carefully composed. Each performance unfolds with a sense of presence, inviting the audience into a world that straddles the known and the unknown.
Featuring five dancers—Randy Burd, Sofia Engelman, Cecilia Fontanesi, Ava Heller, and Rachel Keane—the work moves fluidly between solos, duets, and group sections. The choreography, while experimental in its looseness, also manages to create striking moments of connection, suggesting the intricate ways we navigate human relationships and interactions.
One of the most memorable moments was the duet between Randy Burd and Cecilia Fontanesi. There is an unmistakable intelligence in their movement, which both feels deliberate and open to possibility. Burd’s grounded and nuanced performance, paired with Fontanesi’s sensitivity to both space and her partner, created a duet that felt like a dialogue—silent but deeply resonant. Their interplay, a highlight of the evening, showcased how two dancers can explore their individual strengths while meeting the other with curiosity and grace, creating a palpable energy on stage.
The musical score, featuring an eclectic mix of compositions by Robert Een, Tomeka Reid, Nicolas Letman-Burtinovic, Davey Williams, SUSS, Eve Risser & Red Desert Orchestra, and the dancers themselves, was integral to the shifting dynamics of the piece. At times it propelled the dancers forward; at other moments, it allowed them to linger, bending time and space in a way that mirrored Appel’s curiosity about the experience of time.
Ultimately, The Unfolding Scene is an invitation to observe how we move through life, balancing our personal trajectories with those of the people around us. Appel’s piece asks us to consider the ways in which we meet others, both physically and emotionally, and whether we can, even for a moment, step out of time to truly engage with the present. This meditation on human connection was made all the more poignant by the intelligence and artistry of the dancers, particularly in those duets that felt like conversations taking place in motion.
