Echo Times

Issue date: 12/9/09 Section: A&E

Media Credit: Robin Jackson "Angels" took flight at the College of Marin Fall dance concert.

Final assignments are due at College of Marin, but in the dance department, students showcased what they've learned not by answering essay questions, but rather in the Fall dance concert. "Gravity's Angels," a collaborative effort between nine choreographers and 45 dancers, combined the talents of the college's dance department as well as guest dancers from Branson.

Each piece employed two songs, lending a sense of complexity and variety to the entire proceeding, strongly conveyed by two pieces in the concert's first half.

The show started with a gorgeous piece choreographed masterfully by COM instructor, Sandra Tanner, called "Common Ground," using Annie Lonnox's ever-awesome, "A Thousand Beautiful Things," for the first half or the number. The lighting created depth and large wooden blocks strategically provided additional effects, while the dancers' movements magnetically drew the audience into the synchronized twirls. Genevieve Greene fronted the group, but all the dancers showed us how they could create magic with their bodies. Peter Gabriel's "Down to Earth" accompanied the second half of the piece, playfully exploring the subject of inclusion, and perhaps the occasional cruelty of young girls to one another.

The second number, Elemental, was neatly performed by dancers from Branson High School. The entire group demonstrated good form and practiced movements, highlighted by soloist Amanda Heinemann, who shows a great deal of promise as an emerging dancer. The Faun music used in the second half of the piece had haunting Arabian tones, which accompanied the dancers movements quite nicely, ending dramatically with all the girls holding Heinemann in the air. The rich red lighting and original costumes deserve a mention in this piece, as they really helped set the mood.

After the intermission, College of Marin Dance Coordinator and Ballet Instructor, Kristi Kuhn choreographed a moving piece dedicated to veterans of the armed forces, inspired by her two military brothers. "The Weight of Souls" was performed with such grace to the music of Samuel Barber, its effect was hypnotic. Donning symbolic long blood-red dresses, the six dancers take you to a place of grief and sadness that is reminiscent of a requiem mass. The precise movements of the dancers, the rich lighting and the dreaminess left one wishing it would never end. Margaret Scheuenstuhl once again shows that she has well crafted technique, and a genuine devotion to her dance. The ending, three of the dancers slowly walking into the fading light left the audience, with a fulfilling, yet melancholy feeling.

Continued...

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