Benjamin Smoke was a man of many talents—activist, musician, drag queen. Now he is the influence behind Come, and Back Again, a dance piece that illustrates how we handle the difficulty of living with tools such as hope and love. The work—performed by the David Dorfman Dance Company—utilizes athletic dancing, video projection, a set that’s splattered with “junk,” and Smoke’s music itself to project familiar emotions. The New York premiere will be at Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Harvey Theater Oct 16-19, as part of BAM’s annual Next Wave Festival.
Gregory Hines once called Savion Glover “possibly the best tap dancer [who] ever lived.” The former child prodigy debuted on Broadway at 12 and by age 23 had already won his first Tony for choreography in Bring in da Noise, Bring in da Funk. Glover continues to bring tap to the masses in STePz, which combines traditional music with a modern-day tap style fueled by Glover’s non-stop energy. The production, which also features talented members of the TLHS ensemble, is the opener for Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts’ 59th season. Catch it Nov 2.
John J. Zullo Dance/Raw Movement showcases three dances in one night at Danspace. One piece, “this Exquisite diversion/mysterious Skin,” explores how people express traumatic psychological experiences in a physical way; the piece was inspired by the gay young adult novel Mysterious Skin. This dance also includes a performance by singer Jessie Davis and a score by David Englehard. Other works include “projext Xiii,” with dancers performing in 60-second segments, and “All what THIS do HAS you HAPPENED see? BEFORE,” which focuses on repetition and recreation. The show is part of the Dance: Access series, and will run Sep 19-21.
What Do You Think?