If dance lives in the bodies of the artists who perform it, then volumes of fascinating history reside in the limbs of Sara Shelton Mann, who took the CounterPulse stage on Friday for the premiere of an autobiographical solo “Sara (the Smuggler).” Conceived and choreographed by Circo Zero’s Keith Hennessy with sound score by Mann’s longtime collaborator Norman Rutherford--both Contraband alums—Sara (the Smuggler) is a review of her life via dance and theater, and what a life it is. The title is a sly reference to the dance collective Contraband, which Mann founded in the 1980s and which disbanded in 1996. Under a heavy gold veil, a primal energy and corkscrewing arms and fingers recall German expressionist Mary Wigman’s famous “Witch Dance.” In a Proustian step into her past as a protege of choreographer Alwin Nikolais, Mann is specific, almost mathematical in her precision, and when she leads audience members in a bit of therapeutic movement alchemy, the air crackles with exuberance. Matter-of-fact descriptions of the Klan burning a cross on the lawn of the house in which she was staying, or a coat hanger abortion in the late 1940s have no less power than wry observations on modern dance legends--Alwin Nikolais’ class was terrifying and ecstatic, and Merce [Cunningham] danced like a lion, but had secrets that he didn’t teach. Yet “Sara” is more than a simple tribute, it’s an embodied history of one of the most influential figures in modern dance.

BING NEWS:
  • From “Cheap Thrills” to “Dance Alone”: 5 of Sia’s Best Collaborations
    Sia has mastered writing a great pop song and conflating her intrinsic storytelling and songwriting has spanned multiple genres ...
    05/3/2024 - 4:57 am | View Link
  • Dance for UGC Codes (May 2024)
    He’s been gaming for almost 25 years and can’t imagine life without dogs, loud music, or his PC rig.
    05/1/2024 - 11:24 am | View Link
  • Stagecoach live updates: Set times, Jelly Roll, Willie Nelson and Beyonce rumors
    Check back here for the sights, sounds, special guests and magic moments of Stagecoach throughout the weekend. Plan your festival experience: Set times for headliners Eric Church, Miranda ...
    04/28/2024 - 6:52 pm | View Link
  • Dance/Mix Show Airplay
    THE WEEK’S MOST POPULAR SONGS RANKED BY RADIO AIRPLAY DETECTIONS ON DANCE-FORMATTED STATIONS AND MIX SHOW PLAYS ON MAINSTREAM TOP 40 AND SELECT RHYTHMIC STATIONS THAT HAVE SUBMITTED HOURS OF MIX ...
    04/26/2024 - 1:00 pm | View Link
  • Hot Dance/Electronic Songs
    THE WEEK’S MOST POPULAR CURRENT DANCE/ELECTRONIC SONGS ACROSS ALL GENRES, RANKED BY STREAMING ACTIVITY DATA BY ONLINE MUSIC SOURCES TRACKED BY LUMINATE, RADIO AIRPLAY AUDIENCE IMPRESSIONS AS ...
    04/26/2024 - 1:00 pm | View Link
  • More

 

Welcome to Wopular!

Welcome to Wopular

Wopular is an online newspaper rack, giving you a summary view of the top headlines from the top news sites.

Senh Duong (Founder)
Wopular, MWB, RottenTomatoes

Subscribe to Wopular's RSS Fan Wopular on Facebook Follow Wopular on Twitter Follow Wopular on Google Plus

MoviesWithButter : Our Sister Site

More Entertainment News