Mirrored: Defining Black Dance and Shedding Skins
A Peer Review of DIRT (Dance in Revolting Times)
Saturday, September 10, 2011

by Raissa Simpson

Two Choreographers- Jetta Martin and Micheal Velez shared a bill seen at Dance Mission Theater’s newly renovated space for Down & Dirty Series or DIRT. In a joint concert that ranged from bright displays of versatility to extreme performances, each choreographer had their moment to stage worthy antics to much delight of audiences.

That’s a fair depiction as viewers are encouraged to select a card from a deck of playing cards and to write a thought or take a previously written thought in the theater lobby. For the show opener each dancer lofted through the audience, offering embraces to wanting members. Through a tally of vote,  dancer-choreographer Jetta Martin opened the show with six varied works as her contemporary ballet aesthetic could be seen throughout.

Dancers Coral Martin and Travis Santell Rowland offered articulate and whimsical full body performances, while Charles Torres completed the group adding bravado and grounded leaps. Martin herself ripped through the stage with long legato arms that stretched across the stage. As an untitled work with spoken word poet Tim’m West progresses, it makes you wonder- what is black art suppose to look like? As the night continues, it is witnessed that both choreographers hold something different to the impossible answer.

By all accounts, San Francisco has the worst record of any large city in the United States for pushing out its Black residents. Even gourmet food trucks roll into gentrified neighborhoods with generous smiles but all the while selling $10 hot dogs because pickled onions and avocado are sprinkled on top. Now representing 4% of the City’s population, Dance Mission Theater offers us a rare glimpse from two East Bay choreographers whose primary work takes place here.

“… In spite of the fact that this label (black dance) has no clear definition, it has acquired a power almost as great as its meaning is obscure.” -Zita Allen of New York University Dance Department

Describing Michael Velez’s work would take a long discussion on Black Choreographers who continue to stretch the avant-garde. While Alonzo King, Joanna Haigood, and Robert Moses found their performance and choreography chops in San Francisco’s modern dance scene during the 1980’s and 1990’s, this artists always wonders what’s next for the younger choreographers?

Velez strips his dancers of their clothes in symbolic efforts of shedding much pretense in their spirited dancing. As each article of clothing drops, Velez arranges his dancers in intense emotive groupings through the aptly named “That at which all things can aim.” A vibrant display of different dancing, the work brings us home with Velez reaching for the luminous light by Harry Rubeck, longing for something familiar- yet unattainable.

Aspects of the evening were clearly emerging artists at their best, both choreographers achieved a unique take on a first concert venture with success. A pairing of two very different choreographers in a successful evening that was presentable and entertaining. The other performers in addition to Martin, Velez, Torres, Rowland, and Coral Martin included Dexandro “D” Montalvo, Hannah Yanow, Erik Lee, Latanya d. Tigner, Lynda Penados, and Annie Thatcher-Stephens.