Review: CAPITAL FRINGE FESTIVAL - Dance Highlights at Cafritz Hall And Delirium

The Capital Fringe Festival is a ten-day showcase of both new and established artists across dance, music, drama and comedy. The Fringe proudly does not screen for quality; anyone can apply and, space permitting, perform, whether they already have a strong reputation and can sell out a venue or are performing for the very first time. 

The three performances I saw were as varied as they come: a modern dance company, a duo of Flamenco dancer and guitarist, and a theatrical reimagining of a black church service as a backdrop for a woman’s coming of age story. All were seasoned performers, though some performances were more amateur than others. 

Sharp Dance Company, a modern dance troupe from Philadelphia and winner of Best Dance at the 2023 Fringe, brought Alone and Together to Cafritz Hall at the EDC JCC. This one-hour performance of five works included one world premiere Fate, a collaboration by choreographer Joe Colter and company Artistic Director, Diane Sharp-Nachin. 

While most of the works were overly maudlin, the histrionic expressions on the dancers’ faces distracting from their steps, Fate was a stronger piece. Set to primarily instrumental music (also rare on the program), the dancers moved through gestures and at times moves reminiscent of capoeira, showing off dramatic weight transfers and suspensions. I longed for the dancers to move quickly - the first two works were legato in tempo - and finally, they did, visibly exhaling and listening to each other onstage to stay connected. Despite the lackluster material, Wren Coleman and Linnea Calzada-Charma shined brightly, imbuing the steps with meaning through delicate focus and care. 

Flamencodanza with Flamenco artist Aylin Bayaz accompanied by guitarist Raul Mannola could not have been more different. And that’s the beauty of the Fringe. Mannola opened the one-hour show with a solo guitar piece, and his finesse and mastery are truly remarkable. Throughout the performance he shifted seamlessly through Flamenco styles, paying homage to great composers. He was joined onstage by Bayez for multiple songs, as her fleet footwork added counter rhythms to the sounds. Bayez is also a veteran performer, skilled at drawing audiences in with a simple flick of the wrist or shift of her hips. In a word, she’s entrancing. 

CHRCH, A Black Music Story by Seshat Yon’shea Walker is an ambitious, thrilling work and featured a spell-binding performance by Rocheny Princien. Billed as a drama by the Fringe, this 75-minute show includes singing, dancing, preaching, reflecting, visuals and more, set to funk, soul, house and disco hits that illustrate how a club can be just as spiritual a space as a house of god. Princien, as lead character PastHER TEESH, never leaves the stage, transforming into versions of herself with clever manipulations of a single purple durag. It’s an emotionally exhausting and exhilarating journey, and Precien’s charisma alone demands rapt attention.

The photography, interstitials, lyrics and quotations projected would be better served in a different theater space, as many were hard to see. This is the kind of logistical challenge that plagues Fringe shows, given limited time for tech rehearsals, tight budgets and less-than-ideal spaces. While not a material detractor, the issue is indicative of larger funding shortages impacting the arts, especially emerging artists and less-commercial work, and is also part of what the Fringe is trying to solve. It’s too bad when it lessens the power of works like CHRCH, and I hope DC audiences get another opportunity to see this piece soon in a better setting. 

Photo credit: Promotional still from CHRCH, courtesy of Production.

All shows were approximately one-hour with no intermission. 

While the 2024 Fringe Festival is now over, check back for details on 2025 performances.

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