Review: Parsons Dance REMEMBER ME

Parsons Dance REMEMBER ME is an all-new version of last season's collaboration with choreographer David Parsons the lead vocalists of East Village Opera Company (EVOC), featuring the music of their rock opera band. Held at The Joyce, this show utilizes contemporary dance, live and recorded music, video projections, digital lighting, and visual effects, making it one of the most ambitious pieces created by Parsons Dance. The show is a departure from the choreographer's usual upbeat and joyous works, instead tapping into something darker, more sensual, and deep.

Before Remember Me began, the audience was treated to a short solo dance piece called ‘Caught.' A signature work of David Parsons, this stroboscopic movement features a single dancer (in this case Miguel Quinones) flying above the stage. By utilizing the dark moments to land and the lit seconds to leap, the audience is privy only to the dancer's airborne movements. Flying, hovering, twirling, and skipping, the dancer coasts effortlessly around the stage in a fluid orbit. This piece alone is worth experiencing, and I must confess to feeling an intense emotional reaction (longing, admiration, envy) upon first catching site of the gravity-defying dancer. It was simply one of the coolest things I have seen a real person do in real life, and the effect was beautiful.

After "Caught" was completed, the feature piece began. "Remember Me" utilizes eleven dancers, three of whom are cast in main roles. The story, created by choreographer David Parsons and EVOC's Tyley Ross and AnnMarie Milazzo, retells the classic tale of a tragic love triangle. The audience watches as two men (Miguel Quinones and Zac Hammer) fight for the woman they love (Abby Silva Gavezzoli). Accompanied and supported by the eight other dancers, these three lovers interact through the trials of love, sex, jealousy, and heartbreak.

One of my favorite parts about the Parsons dancers is that they don't necessarily fit the ‘ballet dancer' mold. The women's hair is loose and long and the men all wear what looks to be American Apparel-esque jeans. The body types vary especially in the women; it is not unusual to see a tall female dancer paired with a shorter male, and it is commonplace to see a ballerina with curves. It is this element that adds an additional sensuousness and relatability to the choreography.

After the first part of ‘Remember Me' was complete I began to question that the lead female dancer, Gavezzoli, was not necessarily the best for the part. Extremely pretty, I suspected that it was her looks that had helped to move her into this large role. However, I was proven wrong as the show continued and Gavezzoli bloomed in the spotlight. Maintaining a stamina I can only ever imagine possessing, she moved and jerked and twisted and leaped with grace and poise. Some of the movements were astounding (standing comfortably upright on other dancers shoulders, twisting her body around while putting all her weight on her head and toes,) and she played her part of the object of desire believably (if not slightly too innocently.)

Quinones and Hammer were the real showstoppers, bringing unbridled passion to every movement. Quinones, in particular, was capable of incredible fluid movements, and played his role as antagonist with just the right mix of desperation and abandon. Whenever he came onto the stage it was impossible not to notice him; he also brought some humor into an otherwise serious piece, which is an important quality that is sometimes overlooked.

Being in the core of Parsons dance is not like the core of the New York Ballet. With only four male dancers and four females, the core (Julie Blume, Eric Bourne, Sarah Braverman, John Corsa, Lauren Putty, Billy Smith, Melissa Ullom and Steven Vaughn) was given a chance to display their own styles and skills. They shared the spotlight with our three leads (and often stole it), each showcasing their own talents.

David Parsons' ‘Remember Me' choreography is unbelievably interesting. Filled with lust and passion, movements alternate between jerky street dance styles, acrobatic contortions, and graceful soft ballet. Not always at ease with the musical accompaniment, some of the actions utilize body parts others wouldn't dream of contorting or twitching, or shaking. Not all of it is pretty, and in this case the choreographer uses this painful twisting and odd angles to better communicate the anguish of his characters. Some of the most effective choreography can be seen when the dancers all moved simultaneously, standing with arms around one another. Hands and arms were highlighted throughout Remember Me, as were repeated chest movements.

Despite the heavy overtones of the show, Parsons was still able to capture humor and delight in select movements that were intentionally out of place, such as having the female dancers bop their hips and the men jerk their necks like a group of teenagers in Grease or West Side Story.

The music and vocals of the East Village Opera Company had a huge influence on the piece. AnnMarie Milazzo and Tyley Ross' vocals brought the show into a whole other realm of performance art and mixed media work. Clad all in black the two singers would slip onto the stage and perform classic opera pieces to a rocked out version of the original song. Their presence was almost that of a Greek chorus or ghost watching the tragic dancers go through their movements: able to foretell what was about to unfold but unable to assist. Ross, in particular, had a vocal tone and power that translated perfectly with the modern dance movements, which were only enhanced by light and video effects. Familiar chords of "Le Nozze di Figaro" and serenades from "Carmen" would take on a life of their own once blended with quick beats or heavy guitar riffs. The opera only enhanced the movements, and the audience was able to focus their attention on whatever drew them in at the moment.

For myself, I have always had a bit of a hard time with dramatic stories of love that end tragically, so all in all Parsons' story felt a bit overdone and certainly melodramatic. However, the story was communicated well and the fantastic vocals and dancing made ‘Remember Me' an exciting and memorable night out. This collaboration was certainly worth bringing back for a second go, and I hope to see Parsons and the EVOC work together again in the future.

Parsons Dance will perform February 2-21, 2010 at The Joyce Theater, with performances Tuesday, Wednesday, Sunday at 7:30pm; Thursday - Saturday at 8pm; and Saturday and Sunday at 2pm. The Joyce Theater is located at 175 Eighth Avenue (at 19th Street), NYC. Tickets start at $10 and are available by phone at 212-242-0800 or joyce.org.

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