Company:  AlignDance Theatre / Kinetic Studio

Choreographer:  Wendy Ellis

Performers:  Maria Biondo, Caroline Biondo

With Les Image Du Temps, Wendy Ellis has turned a simple idea into high concept.

Before I address that concept directly, I have to say that for me, this tidy little duet opened up a window into an area of choreography that has fascinated me for some time – namely those instances, which go beyond mere synchronized motion, when dancer’s individual identities are intentionally erased in the service of a vision of uniformity of appearance and movement.

Choreographers attempting to turn the ensemble into a unitary whole are tasked with selecting dancers of similar height, build and hair color – then turning to costuming and makeup to erase the most obvious remaining discrepancies. The whole process must be daunting and exhausting – but when it works, the effect can be very convincing. I once spoke to a dance mom who admitted she occasionally had trouble picking her daughter out of the ensemble.

For choreographers struggling to achieve this effect, Wendy Ellis has come up with the ultimate solution: Use identical twins – which she did with wicked success in the highly synchronized movements in Le Image.

Cleverly, the effect was not presented, but gradually revealed – and to no little consternation. The duet began on the floor, with the dancers spooned – one facing, one backed to the audience.  Similarly costumed, their mirrored movement established the theme of the piece, which was greatly enhanced when we began to see the second dancer’s face. And there began the guessing.

“Wow! Kudos to the makeup artist!. Wait…..  What?….. Could it be?…..” It was this pause – this momentary, “Wait – what am I looking at?” that first hooked the audience, creating a visual tension that never quite resolved and kept us glued to the performers who really owned us from that point on. In my defense, and to try to not look like a complete idiot, the audience was some distance away and there was always the possibility that it was just fortunate casting and terrific costuming and makeup. Movies have body doubles – right? However, if that was so, it was impressive.

While the dancers may have had the biggest advantage possible in their appearance, they still had to deliver a performance. As an audience, once we realize that this is intended to be mirrored, we can become hyper-aware of the smallest discrepancies. I have to say this pair performed admirably. Their attention to detail and the precision of their timing was very convincing and maintained the illusion.

In some ways this short program was simplicity itself. Ellis favored shapes and momentary poses over complex movement. But there was an effortlessness in the transitions and an elegance in the configurations the dancers discovered – supported by the accuracy of their mirrored movements, that elevated this piece to art.

With Les Image Du Temps, Wendy Ellis made the most of an unusual opportunity with unique performers. She presented a simple concept with limited ambitions and exquisite execution. I believe that she intended nothing more than creating small moments of wonder and beauty. Her dancers delivered nothing less.

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