Simi Valley-based choreographer Beth Megill wrote a reaction to some of her favorite pieces from the recent Pasadena Dance Festival, including praise for my current most successful dance work The Next Step is to Go Back.
Soloist Lindsey Lollie performed a captivating piece set to spoken word by Paul Matthis. The Next Step is To Go Back was an experiment in the physics of the body that was engaging and at times confounding to watch. Lollie performed her work with remarkable ease and control. Utilizing the most contemporary release techniques with a fluency I really admire. Her opening inversion and subtle head movements set up her physical strength and agility that did not wane throughout the piece.
The film based on this dance was just screened in San Diego. The wife of the department head, Pamela, pulled me aside and let me know how deeply it moved her. She was a dancer in her youth and said it gave her chills. It was a very touching testimony! Quite the honor to be a part of CEMEC and the wonderful crowd there. Also UCSD has a killer campus!
Go, Paul! That’s awesome.
Yay! Thanks Sarah.