New York City Theater

"The Velocity of Things"
THE NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL FRINGE FESTIVAL
At P.S. 122, 150 First Ave.

How to describe the exuberant dance program of Regina Nejman and her company? Six dancers (five women, one man) take command of the small stage, using ballet and modern techniques to create their unique world. Even Capoeira (Brazilian martial arts) is incorporated into the piece. This new work, choreographed and directed by the Brazilian-born Nejman, moves at a relentless pace—captivating the viewer with its level of energy and its constant innovations.

The stage is bare, the props are minimal—shiny red high-heeled shoes, tin buckets, sand. The program begins and ends with two dancers silently, slowly pouring sand from one pail to the other, suggesting the seaside. In fact, a sense of the sea is pervasive throughout the show, but also a sense of time. Dancers swing arms like a pendulum, and the clocks tick away. The original score by composer Mio Morales does much to enhance the mood and underscore the dance movements. And Erin Murphy’s simple costumes (black and white striped tops stretched over vividly-colored panties) strike the right note.

The dancers—Kristin Licata, Val Loukiano, Tamsin M. Nutter, Mary Madsen and Kathy Wasik—all work beautifully as an ensemble, but Nejman herself is the centerpiece which holds it all together.

-- Irene Backalenick
Aug. 13, 2005