HQ Review: MADCO presents two weekends of “Bound” at The Luminary

A single dancer, Gabriella Billy, lies on the floor, head facing upstage. The subtlety of the moment allows the viewer to take in the environment of The Luminary. The location in which this concert exists. The exposed rafters above, the bare bones aesthetic of this multi-use arts space, the bustle of Cherokee Street outside its windows, and the ability to hear the breath of this single human who rests before us. As flutters of daybreak emanate from the sound score, Billy becomes unsettled on the floor. She anxiously readjusts her position, pulls her body inwards, then unfolds again in attempts to find some quiet. Soon other dancers emerge, and a repetitive beeping sound triggers their collective vision in different directions. They are adorned in various hues of lavender that careen across their bodies, costumes effectively assembled by Cassie Callahan.

This opening work, “Between Blossoms” by CJ Burroughs, introduces the concert with an affectionate and sometimes cutesy quality, albeit one that still allows the vigorous athleticism of MADCO’s dancers to be centered. Props are implored to imitate actual flowers that pop up unexpectedly from the floor and in between bodies. Rapid successions of movement swallow the space. All nine dancers navigate moving with a synchronicity that naturally flows alongside the music without being dictated by it. A striking visual arises as dancers lie supine on the floor, their hands blossoming up from their torsos, creating a field of shadows behind them. Daryon Kent’s arms begin to rapidly undulate, and it is as though his arms have turned into snakes that are about to slither up the walls. Burroughs choreography takes the movement vocabulary of MADCO and encases it inside the aesthetic of her own choreographic style. One that grows with a gentle potency, informing the viewer that this is a sturdy and solidly orchestrated group.

“From The Ash,” choreographed by Artistic Director Arianna Russ, gently asserts itself into the space with a brief solo by Katherine Kennedy. She eases herself in and out of the floor, allowing the energy from the previous piece to re-center itself, while gearing up the audience for what is ahead. Suddenly, her weighted arm slaps against the ground, and it is clear this moment of softness is about to evolve.

From this moment forward the energy of the work is relentless. Constantly unraveling itself at the seams. The movement that MADCO executes is fearless, arms and limbs completely enveloping the space around them. This is the power of movement that MADCO thrives in, and they continue to capture this quality with utter commitment. It is not always clear what drives their physical urgency, but Arianna’s ability to create a compelling atmosphere, full of explosive textures, feels like reason enough to get swept away in the cascading rollercoaster of this work. Even as dancers come close to the audience they do not falter or withdraw. The robust nature in which they navigate The Luminary’s intimate space exemplifies the level of body awareness that they inhabit intuitively. Although the fiery nature of these dancers’ never plateaus, it does at times feel excessive, and I wonder what other qualities this company might be capable of capturing as well.

The piece does offer a brief moment of respite before its final rupture. The entire group is enshrouded in stillness. Katherine Kennedy begins to recite “Rain Light” by W.S. Merwin as she ripples between the calm composure of the other dancers. Though the spoken words feel slightly jarring with their sudden shift of texture, it is also a welcome one. Kennedy speaks of how “flowers are forms of water...even though the whole world is burning,” and her words help encapsulate what this work wants to convey. This thematic material also helps prep the audience for how to experience the final explosion of movement that concludes this work. With emotive faces and wieldy bodies, these nine dancers physically embrace these final remnants of hope, cycling through the many calamities and rebirths this dance has carried them through.

Seeing MADCO perform at The Luminary Arts Center is an engrossing experience. Dancers come within mere feet of you, and the visceral energy of their bodies is refracted across your own. Sometimes dance lulls you, but MADCO reasserts the power of the body and the way that the dancing body can reinvigorate a space, and perhaps a community as well. “Bound” is a concert that will leave you with a grounded energy, a corporeal energy, a system of electricity that was not present before.