Haven

Choreographer:  Diane McNeal Hunt

Performer:  Candy Jimenez

Choreographer Diane McNeal Hunt chose to mount this entire piece on a cube whose rectangular shape made it very marginally longer than the staging typically used for tiny dances – which is to say, it was still tiny. And when you consider that two substantial branches were also laid on top, the space left for Candy Jimenez’ solo performance was minuscule. We’re talking square inches. Just the simple mechanics of it – Jimenez’ ability to generate compelling movement with little or no room to move, was really impressive.

The piece began simply enough with sinuous hand movements, which I assumed was necessitated by how contained her body was. Surprisingly, she did not take up the branches beside her to create more space, but reached beyond the cube to retrieve two more branches and rose to present their spreading fan shapes like winged extensions of her arms. However restrained her fee might have been, she more than compensated with sinuous body moments and large gestures with the branches she held.

This was an impressionistic work but delightfully varied in the impressions it created. Jimenez was variously a majestic bird, a fan dancer, a shaman, and a wild woman with wings.  She did all of this without disturbing the branches at her feet. Her level of control was amazing and the effect was magnified by her rooted stance.

Diane McNeal Hunt is a choreographer with a flair for exploring emotional connections in her work. The quote she used to preface this work, “Moving you to the end with light sound, and texture…All heralding a great symphony of music and celebration.”, was very enigmatic and perhaps purposely non-specific. In retrospect, I chose to focus on Hunt’s reference to “celebration” as it seemed to more accurately characterize Jimenez’ expressive, exultant movement. In that regard, Candy Jimenez, whose sole work I have admired, was an ideal vessel for this complex, sometimes fierce, celebratory vision.

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