BWW Reviews: ChEckiT! Dance - CHECK US OUT Dance Festival 2013

CheckiT Dance presented its third annual Check Us Out Dance Festival: A Celebration of Female Choreographers, on Saturday, July 13, 2013 at Summit Rock in Central Park. The evening included works from more than 10 female choreographers from the United States and abroad. CheckiT Dance is an all female modern dance company focusing on gender issues, female identity, objectification and the exploration of traditional gender roles.

Although the performance focused on female roles, the genius was the humor and beauty the choreographers used to define women's issues. The dance pieces graced the full spectrum of stereotypes about women by presenting works entitled Vacuum, choreographed by Lieneke Mous, and Ball and Chain, choreographed by Allison Brzezinski. The dancers had the freedom to explore all aspects of women and life as they performed strong pieces like The Gravel Road, danced by the very lithe, lyrical beautiful dancer, Melissa Jackson. The festival offered a variety of dance styles and theater: Elements of Sustainable Rhythm, performed by Stacy A. Donovan/ Improbable Dance Company was a humorous, dynamic theater piece. Love Against The Rocks, choreographed by Joya Powell/Movement of the People Dance Company offered the percussive sound and undulating movement of the islands with heavy ritual connotations.

Lauren LaSorda presented a work called Myselves, where her many selves were depicted through the angst and schizophrenic movement of four dancers. The evening ended with five dancers sitting in chairs, staring at clipboards as if they were bored out of their minds. There was no movement for about two minutes; then the choreographer, Ellenore Scott/ELSCO, announced that the sound wasn't working. She immediately started singing an acapella rhythm. It was a phenomenal experience, and the dancers were exceptional.

The Check Us Out Dance Festival was a Celebration of Female Choreographers and passionate dancers who transformed the Summit Rock stage in Central Park into a live theater, and for that they should all be celebrated.