By: Emily Ferro –
Media Credit: Emily Ferro - Salve Dance Minors line up during their performance of "Yew Forest" at Norman Bird Sanctuary.
When a person thinks of dance, a few choice images come to mind – a stage with bright lights, and a pretty girl in a tutu, for example. A few words that would not come to mind are dirt, tree, or rain, unless of course you were involved with Newport’s Open for Dancing.
Steering away from the typical on-stage choreography, the Open for Dancing choreographers brought art into nature, featuring three performances choreographed with the audience in mind. Each dance was interactive, whether the audience followed the dancers through a tangle of branches, or dancers dangled from tree limbs as if they were an extension of the tree itself.
The performances, which were hosted by the Island Moving Co., took place on September 24 and 25. The dances took place in multiple locations, and featured dancers from all over the Newport area. There were two routines which the Salve dance minors took part in. These performances were held at Norman Bird Sanctuary, and Bellevue House.
Audience members attending the performance at the Bellevue House stood beneath the aging branches of a beech tree in the houses back garden. From the ground, the audience watched as dancers maneuvered their way from branch to branch, swinging on hanging ropes as they went. The piece, “Out of the Canopy,” was choreographed by Christine Sandorfi. Onlookers stood amazed as the acrobatics happened just feet away from them.
As if being feet away from the dancers was not close enough, the audiences of “Yew Forest,” performed at Norman Bird Sanctuary, were so close to the dancers that they were nearly a part of the show themselves. Audience members paraded down a small path towards the woods in order to see this performance – a new take on Little Red Riding Hood.
Attendees really got in touch with nature during the show, gathering dirt on their shoes and twigs in their hair as they maneuvered along through the maze of saplings after the dancers. This did not bother the audience, apparently, for on Sunday, there was such a demand to see the show that an extra performance was added.
The show’s success had choreographer Marta Renzi in high spirits. After Saturday’s performance she commented that, “Today was a miracle,” noting both the stunning performance on the part of the dancers, and the fact that the rain held out. Being outdoors, the dancers had been rehearsing the entire week prior to the performance even through the rainy days.
Renzi was impressed with the performance, and noted that her job was now just to let the performance “live”. She found inspiration in the location, and hoped the audience would as well. “It’s the audience’s responsibility to find something to please them,” she said. “Didn’t you just see the colors in the woods and wonder?”
Audiences seemed to see her inspiration in Renzi’s work and left the performance pleased.
Open for Dancing was not only interactive for the performers or for the audiences of the main events. The weekend also offered sessions offering classes in yoga, tai chi, or even qi gong. These events, just like the main performances, were also held outdoors.
Whether through watching a dance performance or practicing the foxtrot at Bowen’s Wharf, Open for Dancing brought a new artistic feel to places around Newport which locals are familiar with. The Open for Dancing program called the event, “a celebration of Newport’s historic landscapes through dance,” and the statement couldn’t have been more accurate.
Keep an eye out for more events by the Island Moving Co. Coming up: The Nutcracker at Rosecliff.
