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AUDIENCE REVIEW: The Power of Perspective: Finleigh Zack Dance

Company:
Finleigh Zack Dance

Performance Date:
October 6, 2024

Freeform Review:

Tucked away in a corner of New York City’s Chinatown sits the Ki Smith Gallery filled with the work of photographer Robert Whitman. His photographs of Prince line the walls, denoting life before fame and showcasing the power of the musician even before his rise to commercial success. But on October 6, 2024, there’s a buzzing in the gallery that feels different than the usual displays of visual art. There’s a vibration in the space. People begin to gather, chatting with each other about what’s to come. And there’s something catching, ready to activate the gallery walls and turn them into none other than a stage. 

I use the term stage in a broad sense, but what Finleigh Zack Dance did was transform this gallery into a watering hole for arts and culture for an evening, using dance and movement to animate the space in a unique and memorable way. This evening was the third and final pop-up event in Finleigh Zack Dance’s Power of Perspective series. This series addresses the power of perception and shifts in point of view in art and beyond. The first pop-up event in the series was performed in London, FZD’s international second home. The second was performed in Paris, in conjunction with the 2024 Paris Olympics. Finleigh Zack, the company’s artistic director and choreographer, returned to her New York City roots where the company was founded for the final performance, shifting from proscenium to immersive work and making the audience question again their perspective on the work as well as the biases they may hold toward unconventional stages and ways of experiencing art. 

In the gallery, guests mill about inspecting the photographs, enjoying refreshments, and chatting with each other, including with the artists performing in the work. There is a causal air that puts me at ease, and suddenly the space is brought to life. Tenured company members Rachel Calabrese and Sara Fox begin pointing at the photographs on the wall, their fingers leading them into a second gallery space that opens up into a space for the audience to gather around. We watch as their calculated, gestural movements carve out a landscape of duet. There is an intimacy both between the dancers and between us as viewers, close enough to see the sweat generating on their brows. The dancers begin to alternate and watch each other, reflecting back the viewership that we as audience members hold. And just as quickly and quietly as it started, the first piece is over. The dancers rejoin the crowd and casual conversation takes over. We are given just enough to be left wanting more. 

Another duet is short to follow, this time between dancers Catheryn Clifford and Sara Fox. This duet is reminiscent of the first, but also distinct, using broader movement and partnering to weave together a connection between the dancers and the audience. Finleigh Zack, artistic director and choreographer, often creates stunning visuals with carefully crafted gestures and intricate partner work. I was excited to see the dancers share in languid passes, but also punctuate their movement with sharper gestures which delineated the space they shared. The dancers then took us on a physical and emotional journey, leading the audience down the gallery’s stairwell into the lower level. The lighting was much dimmer here, and though the floor was slate gray and concrete, it somehow welcomed us like a cave or the inner workings of oneself. 

Following another extended pause of communing with the audience members, all three dancers joined in for a final exploration of space and time. Now moving through the most extensive partner work and interconnectedness of the evening, the dancers created seamless visuals and made me question what was true and what was illusion. There's a resiliency in the dancers’ movement that leaves me wondering what they mean to each other, and, of course, what they mean to us. Once again, I was left grappling with my understanding of these dancers, their veiled relationships, and my role as a viewer that was also an active participant in awakening the space. As the third and final piece came to a close, I found myself having not only seen the work, but having been seen by it.

Author:
Rush Johnston

Website:
www.rushjohnston.com

Photo Credit:
Charmaine Nicole