Dark Circles Delivers in Partnership with Choreographer Gabrielle Lamb


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ark Circles ContemporaryDance, on the heels of their recent performance in Seoul, SouthKorea, is at it again. DCCDis already in the studioworking on 3 newpieces for their upcoming performance in partnershipwithWater Tower Theatre atAddison Theatre Center onMarch 3.


Theseworks-in-progress are amixture of two-parts Joshua Peugh and one-part guest choreographerGabrielle Lamb. For those unfa- miliarwith herwork,Ms. Lamb is an incredibly accomplished NewYork City choreographerwho has had herwork staged by acclaimed companies such asHubbard Street 2, BalletAustin, Dance Theatre ofHarlemand BalletMemphis, to name just a few. In addition, she runs her own company, PigeonwingDance, a NewYork-basedmodern companywhosework “integrates the rigor of classical training into a unique contemporarymovement language.”


I recently had the honor of sitting in on a rehearsalwithMs. Lamb andDCCDas theyworked through their piece. The first thing that stood out,was the incredible level of detail thatMs. Lamb infuses into herwork. She takes the time towork through eachmovement,making sure it feels organic, both to the dancer and to thework as awhole. She allows pauses to take place, so that dancers can visually connect through direct eye-contact. This creates a powerfulmoment in the piece, because it serves as an opportunity for the audience and the dancers to center in on the work, even if it is only for a brief instance. The details can also be seen in the subtle connections that aremade between dancers. Be it a connection that is initiated froma quick, almost indiscernible flick of the foot or a gentle guide froma hand, these subtle con-


nections build towhat becomes a fluid and intoxicatingmove- ment phrase.


The other detail that stood out in this rehearsal,was howconsci- entious of an artistMs. Lamb is. She never forces themovement but rathermakes sure it unfolds organically. It is a symbiotic rela- tionship;Ms. Lamb asks her dancers “howdoes it feel on the inside?” or “thenwhat happens?Whatwould you do next?” which helps to guide the instincts inherent in theirmovement. In return, dancers provide helpful feedback such as “this is a little awkward forme” and “my body doesn’t fold in half thatway”.


As the rehearsal continued, the piece shaped-up into amost inter- esting combination of fluidmovement through initiation and spe- cific poses, that become architectural in design. It’s thrilling and calming all at the same time,which sounds contradictory until it is experienced first-hand. It’s at that point, one realizes that it’s themost honest and obvious emotional response that can be madewhile consuming the piece.


In addition toGabrielle Lamb’s piece, twoworks by Joshua Peugh, founder and artistic director ofDCCDwill be presented. One piece titled, Pansori Sugungga, is an interpretation of the Korean folktale about theDragonKing, a turtle and a rabbit. The second piece is influenced byDetroit street art andwill beautifully round out the show.


Tickets to this incredibly forward-thinking and revelatory per- formance can be purchased by visiting darkcirclescontemporary- dance.com. $25.


Pictured:DCCDguest choreographerGabrielle Lamb page 20


Pictured:DCCDguest choreographerGabrielle Lamb February-April 2018 www.thedancecouncil.org DANCE!NORTHTEXAS a publication of the dance council of north texas vol. 21 • no. 1


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