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IDT ‘Turns It Up’ for opener
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Idaho Dance Theatre manages to give us what we really want with this year’s premier of Turn It Up: Intimacy, excitement, romance, danger and men in leather pants, all while exploring the intricacies of humanity.
Marla Hansen, associate professor in the Department of Theatre Arts, will be opening the performance with her piece, entitled “Carpe Diem,” or seize the day. This beautiful piece contains three different sections, which convey varying emotional feelings.
To evoke a fast pace, “Carpe Diem” opens with dancers performing impressive lifts while people skateboard and roller blade around.
“It reminds me of trying to get across campus when you’ve got ten minutes to get from the Pavilion to the Morrison Center,” Hansen said.
In the next section, three couples cultivate a romantic atmosphere that leads to the final section Hansen refers to as “Overworked and Overwhelmed.”
“It reminds me basically of the stuff that we all put ourselves under during these times,” Hansen said.
“I mean there’s so much information being bombarded at us at all times, and sometimes you feel like you have to listen to all of it or you’re going to miss something, and it can drive you crazy. Sometimes you have to let it all go, shake it off and just not worry in order to get through the day.”
Del Parkinson will perform live for Hansen’s piece as well as three baroque dances to the music of Grieg’s Holberg Suite.
Hansen said it is gorgeous music, with parts of the section very contemporary and other parts classical and romantic in nature.
Seth Miner, a senior math and music double major at Boise State, is dancing in Hansen’s piece. Miner is an intern for Idaho Dance Theatre now, but he never thought he would make it that far in dance because he didn’t enter the dance world until the age of 19.
Miner, 21 now, said it took a lot of guts to become a dancer at such a late age since he started out two years ago in the sweatpants and lack of flexibility that screamed beginner.
“It’s not about how good you are, but how hard you’re willing to work,” Hansen said.
“The whole show is going to be really fun. Marla is a wonderful lady, and I love her to death,” Miner said.
Miner said the romantic piece with the dancing couples is very intimate but not very sensual or sexual.
“I like the feeling of intimacy in that piece,” Miner said.
The next piece is two sections of Beethoven’s “Moonlight” Sonata premiered by Carol Rowe, with music performed live by Parkinson.
Rowe calls the first section “Cliff notes,” which has two meanings because the imagery contains cliffs, and it’s like the Cliff’s notes of life. A platform was built for the dancers to exemplify a sense of danger.
“The Sonata works well for dance because it lends itself to choreographing,” Rowe said.
Rowe will also present “Recess,” an energetic piece made up of contemporary dance to the music of Michael Torke, a relatively young composer who composed music for the Atlantic Olympics.
“Recess” has imagery from a playground from an adult perspective.
“The playground is where characters emerge, such as bullies, sissies or cliques. There is an adult world right there on the playground,” Rowe said.
Finally, Thax von Reither will premiere his latest piece entitled “Renegades” to the music of Queen. Men wearing leather pants epitomizes this rowdy piece.
“It’s very sexy and light-hearted,” Hansen said.
Alfred Hansen is the light designer for this upbeat, versatile performance.
“It’s not just an abstract ballet; there’s more to it than that. The whole show is really diverse,” Hansen said.
Idaho Dance Theatre presents Turn It Up Friday, Oct. 18 at 8 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 19 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., at the Special Events Center.
For more information, please call Idaho Dance Theatre at 331-9592.
Tammy Sands, The Arbiter
