Audience Reviews

AUDIENCE REVIEW: Through The Portals

Company:
Dance Visions

Performance Date:
November 1, 2015

Have you ever seen this company/ before?

Beth Jucovy has been my dance teacher for almost a year at the Great Neck Adult Center, where I began taking beginnger ballet.  She has since introduced me to Isadora Duncan dancing, something very new to me. She is an inspiring teacher, patient and understanding with us adult beginners. When the opportunity arose to see her and her choreography, I could not miss it.

What was your favorite moment(s)? What inspired you?

I enjoyed the entire performance, but my favorite piece was Through The Portals.  Beth Jucovy's choreography was inspired. Colors blending, separating, merging, twirling--having been a painter most of my life, it was as if I was watching paintings being created and dissolving and coming together again.

Describe as plainly and specifically as you can what actually happened during this performance.

The Little Mermaid -- emotional tug between the call of the sea and the call of love -- beautifully captured as a duet.  Isadora Duncan's Orpheus and the Furies -- live music and recorded music. Through the Portals, colors dancing to original paintings juxtaposed above the dancers.  Introduced and explained thoughtfully before the performances enhanced our expectations and understanding of each piece.

Do any images, colors or feelings pop into your head when you think about this show?

Smooth, precise, colorful, emotional and mesmerizing.

Describe any or all of these elements: music, lighting, the venue. How did they contribute (or not) to your enjoyment of this performance?

The venue was amazing -- a church with picture windows on each side of the stage (pulpit) showing autumn colors, small enough to be intimate, large enough to capture the ensemble. The addition of live music (piano, flute, and soprano) was beautiful  I'd love to see it with a full orchestra. The only down side was that the paintings displayed above the dancers during Through The Portals needed to be brighter.  May have something to do with the picture windows throwing too much light around?

Would you like to see this performance / company again? Would you recommend it to a friend? Why or why not?

Yes, absolutely, and I will bring more friends next time. My husband was reluctantly dragged to this performance by me.  He loves ballet, and modern dance was unfamiliar.  He is a convert! I would love to be able to dance like that.

What would you like to have seen more of? Less of?

I could watch Through the Portals over and over. I am sure I missed nuances here and there.

If you could, what would you ask the choreographer / dancers?

"Wow, how do you do it?"

[Photo: Beth and Adrienne in Morning Star]