Co-Regulation

Company: Sam Arrow

Choreogropher: Sam Arrow

Performers: Sam Arrow, Lauren Jimenez, Alicia  Nascimento-Castro, Ellen Sickenberger

Co-Regulation, by choreographer Sam Arrow, proved to be not just a dance, but an exploration of the possibilities of the Tiny Dances format.

Tiny Dances, a performance style where the dancers are confined to a very small, raised platform, are most often attempted by solo performers – which are still mightily challenged in such a restricted space. Arrow chose perhaps the most difficult configuration possible by utilizing three other dancers, (total of four – count ‘em four) which restricted the remaining space to something close to zero. However challenging, it also made this performance immediately more interesting. With no apparent room to move, my first reaction was “How the hell are they going to pull this off?”.

Arrow rose to the immediate challenge, restricted movement, by managing to create, not just motion, but the impression of volume. You may not have enough room to freely move your arm, but it becomes possible if you all move your arms together – utilizing coordinated sweeping arm gestures – like opening a fan, all of the pieces extending together to define a much larger space, then snapping back into their compact configuration. This, like other highly coordinated solutions for body and leg work, kept what would have been a minimally moveable configuration in constant motion.

Arrow continued to make creative use of the space by employing a number of moves that extended the physical boundaries. There were gestures and movement that had nowhere to go except beyond the edge – including defying gravity with bodies arched precariously over the abyss, trusting to the strength and counterbalance of the others. We were also introduced to a move I’ve never seen before, when three of the dancers dismounted, then flipped the entire platform, launching the remaining dancer to the floor, where they continued before once more mounting the tiny stage. It was not just surprising and dramatic, but great fun to watch.

I am not saying that the techniques or tricks involved here were the most important part of the presentation. This was, first and last, a dance – its energetic, interlocking pieces performing graceful gestures with beautiful arm and leg extension – the whole effect  surprising and aesthetically pleasing. But if a company performed an entire piece standing on their heads, you couldn’t talk about this or that passage without also mentioning the fact that they did it – standing on their heads! Arrow displayed an aesthetic vision with all of its variations while working in the equivalent of a sardine can – and did not just explore and extend the limitations of the Tiny Dances format, but it’s unseen potential as well.

Sam Arrow and collaborators represent the new blood, the fresh ideas and innovative choreography that we need to keep this dance community relevant and alive. This was only the beginning. When they or their contemporaries mount the stage again, I will have my ticket in hand.

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