Dance Like Everyone Is Watching

On Saturday, I was at the Next Stage Festival at The Factory Theatre for a dance recital entitled That F Word. Choreographed by SaMel Tanz, it was a large group of female dancers (mostly in their late teens and early 20s) from a number of dance troupes and schools in the city. F being feminism, it was a series of vignettes illustrating the negative attitudes, expectations, and obstacles imposed on women. The theme was humorously set right at the beginning when a dancer (dressed in a suit) was offered a full glass of water after a vigorous sequence while the "female" one was only given a half-full one. There was also a spoof of the typical shaving-for-swimsuit-season commercial. The soundtrack was a mix of pop, rap, and spoken word.

The strength of the show was also in some ways its drawback. Because there were so many dancers it was possible to highlight/choreograph numerous dance-styles from classical, to contemporary, to hip-hop (usually pop and lock). But it sometimes felt like an end-of-year talent show instead of a singular piece of work. Also, unison movement dominated the piece, more variety especially in partnering work would elevate this production.