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AUDIENCE REVIEW: 7MPR The First Midnight Performance - New Year New Era

Company:
7Midnights Physical Research

Performance Date:
January 19, 2025

Freeform Review:

On a quiet, snowy evening at Arts on Site, 7 Midnights Physical Research (7MPR) offered a thoughtful and emotionally charged evening of dance and performance art. What distinguished the night was not just the range of styles and perspectives, but the intimate setting.

I stepped into a space where the audience lined the walls, quietly captivated by performers dimly lit in the center of the room. The show as a whole was striking in both its breadth and intention, thoughtfully curated by 7MPR founder Jiali Wang. 7MPR provides a platform for emerging dancers to explore and express ideas within the framework of seven core social themes: class, education, ability, sexuality, race, age, and gender.

Mattie McGarey opened the show with a beautiful, raw performance, dancing fully nude. She towered over a gauzy tarp as ambient music echoed around her. As she gently began peeling the tarp from the floor, she slowly folded herself into a space of ambiguity: fully exposed yet partially obscured, still visible beneath the weight of the fabric. McGarey’s inspiration from traditional Japanese Butoh shone through, revealing themes of transformation and stillness. 

The transition to Natalie Long’s piece was dynamic and offered me a familiar feeling. Long danced to disorienting music, moving through a solo that ended in a sense of defeat as she lay on the floor. When two more performers entered, there was an initial disconnect between them, but it gradually shifted into a fluid coexistence that supported Long, physically and metaphorically.

The upbeat movements of Caroline Nelson-Perelly’s piece brought an invigorating change of energy to the space. Her performance felt strong and confident, and her use of the space was brilliant. Midway through the piece, there was a noticeable shift in the audio, almost as if Nelson-Perelly had come to a realization or was undergoing a transformation. Her movements grew long and slow, carrying a subtle sense of shame. It reminded me of acting on pure impulsion, only to come to and feel the weight of the aftermath.

Danna Creager’s performance featured five women. Four were dressed in black, and the remainder stood apart in a light brown jumpsuit. From the beginning, it was the dynamic between them that drew me in. The piece was captivating because of the push and pull from the guiding forces of three of the black-clothed women. There was a strong sense of duality throughout the performance, something that felt both deeply personal and open-ended. At times, it read like an internal struggle between opposing beliefs; at others, it felt more like a physical, emotional journey between two people navigating tension, connection, and curiosity. The ambiguity made it even more powerful, inviting interpretation while remaining deeply personal.

Margo’s piece carried a strong sense of rebirth. Their movements often mirrored those of a baby bird, delicate and searching, set against a soundscape of soft bird chirps. It felt as though they were navigating a journey of discovery, gradually finding their way and evolving throughout the performance

Following the intermission, Xiao Liang (Maggie Liang) and Yinqi Wang took the floor with a hauntingly beautiful duet. Their symbiotic movements left me feeling very emotional, sparking feelings of longing and sorrow. The piece ebbed and flowed between fluid gestures interlaced with moments of chaos that felt almost ritualistic, like watching a relationship caught in a loop it can’t escape; taking then sharing each other's energy. The piece ended with the two morphing together into one form, rolling on the ground after an exhausting sequence. The piece was brilliant and moving.

Stephanie Steme moved the audience with a dance performance intertwined with simultaneous spoken word. Her movements were powerful and righteous as she spoke about doing inner work in order to create major positive change. Her piece explored the human experience of trauma and self-care with striking honesty. I had never seen anything like it before, and it was particularly moving to me, especially with her integration of the idea that vulnerability with others can be the beginning of healing our deepest wounds.

Shelby Green’s performance, featuring five women, really resonated with me. What first caught my eye were their effortlessly cool outfits; disheveled yet intentional, each one unique in color and attitude. The mismatched, color-blocked looks felt like extensions of their personalities, coming together in a kind of beautifully chaotic harmony. To me, the piece read as a commentary on femininity and the ever-shifting beauty standards that shape how women are seen by society and themselves. 

Lastly, the performance by Phoebe Amory was overflowing with divine feminine energy. Two women, one dressed in all white and the other in all black, moved through and around three neutrally clothed dancers. It felt as though they were yearning for each other yet simultaneously lost, as if we were witnessing a transformation, a realization, and an exploration unfold. Each dancer flowed through the space with grace, beautifully closing out the dance acts for the evening.

The closing by Jiali Wang was a beautiful improvisation, accompanied by drummer Michael Glanzer, who set the rhythm with a steady pulse. Jiali moved fluidly across the floor, inviting people from the audience into the center space one by one. In no time, the performance space shifted into something communal, alive with the mix of energies in the room. I’ll admit, I was nervous about being chosen, but then I had a moment of “fuck it” and stepped in. Moving with total strangers was unexpectedly freeing. It felt like Jiali was intentionally creating a space where everyone could feel seen and included. A reminder that dance doesn’t always have to be rehearsed or polished. Sometimes, it’s just about trusting your body and letting it lead.

Author:
Lau Ash

Photo Credit:
Alice Chacon