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<b>choreographed by Apolonia Velasquez and Ofilio Coto Portillo, presented by Gadfly Dance Company
Toronto Fringe Festival, Factory Theatre Mainspace, Toronto
July 2-12, 2008
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</b>Gadfly’s new dance piece concerns individual loneliness amid the urban crowd. The theme may be clichéd, but the extraordinary choreography is not. It blends classical jazz and ballet with all sorts of streetdancing like b-boying, hip-hop, house and waacking. The strongest items are two pas de deux--one between two men (Mariano Abarca and Jesse Catibog) separated by an invisible wall, the other depicting spousal abuse (Jesse Catibog and Apolonia Velasquez). The show needs greater narrative coherence, but it’s a fine showcase for eight highly talented dancers. It’s terrifically exciting to see streetdance liberated from the robotics of music videos and imbued with emotional expression.
©Christopher Hoile
Note: A version of this review appeared in Eye Weekly 2008-07-10.
Photo: Apolonia Velasquez, Ofilio Portillo. ©Jesse Milns.
<b>2008-07-10</b>
<b>Unbearable Prospect</b>