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AUDIENCE REVIEW: Indah Walsh Dance Company - "Would Absolutely Attend Again"

Company:
Indah Walsh Dance Company

Performance Date:
June 20, 2019

Have you ever seen this company/ before?
Tell us a bit about your history with this group/performer?
I'd seen Indah Walsh Dance company perform once before and so I knew to expect audience participation of some level and was quite excited about it.

What was your favorite moment(s)? What inspired you?
The first bit of audience participation, where everyone was bright to their feet and led in a freestyle step-touch. The energy people seemed to be holding so tightly inside themselves seemed to be released into in the room and upon completion I felt lighter and in a space free of expectations or confinement.

Describe as plainly and specifically as you can what actually happened during this performance.
We are looking for non-judgmental reporting. No need for complete sentences. Phrases and word lists are fine. YOU CAN DESCRIBE : the artists, their activities, the movement, the qualities of movement, the music, the use of time, the use of space OR anything else you observed.
Indah and another dancer performed a piece together mostly in sync or mirroring each other. Then came the first audience participation from our seats. Next came a line of Patty's. All doing the same dance in the style of their character. Ending with a vampire trying to court one of them and being rejected. The vampire then went into a solo lip sync performance of "All by myself" accompanied by a fantastic 80's inspired music video. After which the vampire slowly brought the entire audience on stage and led us in another dance along, which included interactions with each other. The vampire exited at the end of the song, the uplifting announcement replayed asking us to take our seats and once settled the first two dancers returned with a companion piece to the opening dance.

Do any images, colors or feelings pop into your head when you think about this show?
The purple interior of the vampire's cape. The multi- colored windbreaker rompers. The amusement of the Patty's unique characteristics and interpretations. The pure joy of dancing together after so completely relating to the vampire's plight of loneliness. Also, I almost forgot the fun of the karaoke sing-a-long during the first dance.

Describe any or all of these elements: music, lighting, the venue.
How did they contribute (or not) to your enjoyment of this performance?
The music selection was carefully picked to help create an overall mood of lighthearted depression and the joy that can come after its passing. The original pieces composed for the piece seemed to blend seamlessly into the era of the other songs while also being modern. Creating a seriousness, but fun. The space seemed perfect for the piece allowing what was necessary for the entire audience to join in effort being on top of each other. The lighting only served to add to the mood of the piece without being distracting.

Would you like to see this performance / company again?
Would you recommend it to a friend? Why or why not?
I would absolutely attend this performance again. And look forward to more shows by Indah Walsh Dance Company. I very enthusiastically recommended the show to a friend while on my way home from seeing it for the joy, the fun and the talent. The entire company is incredibly talented and a pleasure to watch even had we not been invited to participate.

What would you like to have seen more of? Less of?
While I absolutely enjoy the participation, I would also like to have seen a little more of the performers without the audience. One or two more numbers would suffice, I think. When the show ended I wanted at least one more dance.

If you could, what would you ask the choreographer / dancers?
I'd love to hear more about the choice of the company to incorporate participation and foster an environment which creates joy.

Photo Credit:
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