Post # 4:

Title: REPRIEVE
Choreography: Kimberly Lyons
Music: “Reprieve” - Ani DiFranco
Dancers: Louis Acquisto, Devon Adams, Albert Drake, Katrina Kutsch,
Leah Mitchell, Rachel Trippett




MY DESCRIPTION OF THE DANCE MOVEMENTS & THE PIECE AS A WHOLE:

Kym Lyons’s choreography in REPRIEVE is very ACCENTED, CLEAR, and STRONG. The movement quality in the piece is EVER CHANGING and interesting. From moment to moment, the movement quality changes from smooth, to quirky, to controlled, to contemplative, to ethereal, to curvy, to fluid, to inward, to breathy, to angy. Although the choreography is chalked-full of differing dynamic and mood qualities, it is constant that Kimberly’s dancers never fail to dance STRONG and bring NEW INNOVATION EACH TIME THEY PERFORM. Such INVESTMENT in one’s work is a DELIGHT to all who have the PRIVILEGE of witnessing such
ART.



GENERAL OBSERVATIONS:

The use of FOCUS in this dance is ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL. THE FOCUS, brings this dance to LIFE. The dancers’ expressions of deep concern, unbelief, abhorrence, disgust, and fearless confidence take the audience’s breath away. BREATH itself is another key component of this dance. Breath fills the strong accents, extended movements, skitter-skatters, violence, and moments of utter softness. Because of the dancers’ ability to utilize their physical breath, the dance BREATHS and REPRIEVE IS ACHIEVED.




MY INTERPRETATION OF MESSAGE:

The three words I choose to describe this dance are as follows: FEAR, WONDER, EXCLAMATION.

Kimberly Lyons’s work is overflowing with EMOTION, particularly LOUD FRUSTRATION. The piece is SHOUTING, trying SO HARD to EXPLAIN – TO TELL A STORY of a TRAGIC SITATION.




MOTIVATING LYRICS:

Below I included all of the lyrics for Ani DiFranco’s REPRIEVE. I CAPITALIZED the words I felt were of STRONGEST meaning:



“MANHATTAN IS AN ISLANDLike the women who areSurrounded by children in the carSurrounded by cars
Or Manhattan was a projectThat projected the worst of mankindFirst one and then the otherHas made its mark on my mind
It's sixty years later near the hypo-center of the a-bombI'm standing in the middle of HiroshimaWatching a twisted old eucalyptus tree waveOne of the very few lives that survived and lives onRemembering the day it was suddenly thousands of degreesIn the shade
And what all of nature gave birth toTERROR TOOK in a blinding raidWith the kind of painIt would take cancer so many years just to say
Oh to GROW UP GAGGED AND BLINDFOLDEDA great big mans world IN YOUR LITTLE GIRLS HEADTHE VOICE OF THE GREAT MOTHER DROWNED OUT In the constant honking haunting the accident scene up aheadOH TO GROW UP HYPNOTIZED and then try to shake yourself awakeCAUSE YOU CAN SENSE WHAT HAS BEEN LOSTCAUSE YOU CAN SENSE WHAT IS AT STAKE
Yeah it took me a few years to catch on THAT THOSE DAYS I CATCH EVERYONE’S EYE CORRESPOND WITH THOSE NIGHTS OF THE MONTH
WHEN THE MOON GLEANS LIKE AN EGG IN THE SKYAND MEN USING A SENSE THEY DON’T EVEN KNOW
THEY HAVE JUST TO WATCH ME WALK BYAnd me, I'M SUPPOSED TO BE SENSIBE, LEAVE MY ANIMAL OUTSIDE TO CRYBUT WHEN ALL OF NATURE CONSPIRES TO MAKE YOU HER GLORIOUS WHOREIt's cause IN MY BODY I HOLD THE SECRET RECIPE OF PRECISELY WHAT LIFE IS FOR and the PATRIARCHY THAT LOOKS TO SHAME ME FOR IT
IS THE SAME ONE MAKING WARAnd I've said too much already but I'll tell you something moreTO SPLIT YOURSELF IN TWO IS JUST THE MOST RADICAL THING YOU CAN DOSo girl if that shit ain't up to you, then YOU SIMPLY ARE NOT FREECause from the sunlight on my hair to which eggs I grow to termTo the expression that I wear, ALL I REALLY OWN IS ME
I mean to split yourself in two is just the most radical thing you can doGODDESS FORBID THAT LITTLE ADAM SHOULD GROW SO JEALOUS OF EVEAnd in the face of the great FARCE of the nuclear ageFEMINISM AIN’T ABOUT EQUALITY, IT’S ABOUT REPRIEVE.”




VIDEO CLIP:

(not posted yet... sorry.... hopefull soon..... I'm working on it.)




FAVORITE MOMENTS:

.20 – Albert Drake
.27-9 – Devon Adams
.44-5 – Devon Adams
.48-9 – all
.55-7 – “to say”, face expressions
1.06-.07 – Katrina Kutsch, face expression
1.21-.22 – Leah Mitchell, shake
2.06-.12 – Leah Mitchell & Devon Adams
2.13 – Leah Mitchell, fall to floor