In Lunging Cowrie Shells, Essay Example

Dance Brazil is a performance that attempts to educate its audience about the music and dance of Brazil. It is a compilation of music by several Brazilian composers from Bahia. The show is directed by Jelon Viera and although the choreography varies from performance to performance it is heavily influenced by Carlos Dos Santos. Furthermore, an individual that is considered essential to the music compilation is Cuban-born composer and conductor Tania León.

The choreography created by Jelon Viera is very lively and the dancers have been described by the New York Times as “Glowing enthusiastically as they let rip at highest energy” (Kourlas, 2014). Vieira has explained that his artistic contribution to the show is a Vieira’s homage to Capoeira, the Afro-Brazilian martial art unique to his home state of Bahia, and the Samba, Brazil’s iconic popular dance. Other choreographers have contributed to this show by incorporating aspects of contemporary dance and the colonial slave experience. Ultimately, the movement of the artists were very precise and included quick movements. The dance had conceptual meaning rather than literal and was created to capture very different relationships that each contributing choreographer and composer have with Brazil.

The performers were all skilled and enjoyable to watch. At moments, it appeared that certain dancers were highlighted and the eye tends to focus on these individuals. However, there were certainly situations in which they were no longer considered the most important part of the dance and returned to the background. While I was interested in watching every aspect of the show, the easiest dancers to follow were those who were fast moving and incorporating acrobatics into their moves. Interestingly, while these dancers captured the intentions of their choreographers, they did so in a manner that also made the dance their own.

The lighting and special effects and the costumes worn added to the enjoyment of the show. At no point did the lighting distract from the meaning of the piece. Rather it was used to highlight portions of the dance that the composer and choreographer wished the audience to focus on. This brought enjoyment to the piece because while the featured artist typically comes to the front of the stage to perform their dance, the lighting allowed the highlighted artists to remain towards the back of the stage while the lighting indicated where we should move our focus. Additionally, the costumes worn by the dancers emphasized the message of the show’s creators as well. In each dance, the costume worn did well to reflect the type of dance that was performed. In more modern pieces, the dancers wore outfits that looked like modified tutus, while in more traditional Brazilian pieces, the dancers wore what appeared to be local garments.

According to the New York Times article “In Lunging Cowrie Shells, Gods Speak” all of the performances of Dance Brazil are not necessarily the same and this performance is regularly reworked to ensure continued enjoyment from its fans. I believe this brings greater meaning to the show because it is an evolving piece of art rather than a stagnant one. In doing so, it is able to incorporate many new and different voices, which will allow viewers to return multiple times and continue to be impressed.

Works Cited

Kourlas G. “In Lunging Cowrie Shells, Gods Speak”. 13 March 2013. Web. 19 April 2014.             <http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/14/arts/dance/dancebrazil-presents-premieres-at-the-joyce-theater.html?_r=0>