By Eric George Tauber
SAN DIEGO — South of DZ Akins lies the Salvation Army Kroc Community Center, a sprawling complex with athletic facilities and a 500+ seat performing arts complex. This was the venue for Entrances & Exits, a dance concert presented by Grossmont College. There were nine different acts with nine different styles of dance and music. The sheer breadth reminded me of the glory days of Vaudeville, hence the comparison.
After a brief lecture on theater etiquette, the show got rolling with “He Said, She Said” featuring the country blues of Lyle Lovett. The choreography was smart and sassy, a definite crowd pleaser. But I think it would have “clicked” better if the dancers had been more in sync.
“Seven Together” was more balletic. The dancers were light and graceful like a swarm of butterflies. I loved their sweetly romantic choice of Gershwin’s “Embraceable You” played by a chamber group.
“From the Sole” was a tap number to Stevie Wonder. The three hoofers were wonderfully in sync, jazzy, graceful and lithe. Now that they have the choreography down, I’d like to see them get out of their heads and flirt with the audience a bit more.
“Collectivity” was a Martha Graham emotive style that we have come to associate with modern dance. Unlike the airborn pixies of ballet, these eight women were down to earth, powerful, strong and beautiful in their strength.
Modern dance met the 40s in Louis Prima’s “Swing, Swing, Swing.” It was an exciting swirl of bold colors and raw energy.
“Oddities” was true to its name with brightly colored and sequined carnival-themed costumes and bursts of explosive laughter. Fun to watch in an unpredictably silly kind of way.
“Dress Rehearsal,” choreographed by Colleen Shipkowski, featured dancers Stacy Cosman, Sidney Franklin, Rosalinda Lopez, Brittany Pharis, Kristen Deitchman, Aaron Mondares, Tiffany Goff (Photo: Robert Sanchez)
“Dress Rehearsal” was about the hard life of dancers wrapping up injured parts and dancing through the pain. Making their point, they danced jetés in pairs of crutches. This wasn’t mere hyperbole. Years ago, one of my House Manager duties was to prep a bag of ice for a dancer’s sprained ankle after every show.
“In a Flash” showed how, in the hurry and hustle of our lives, time can seem to stop. In the face of a sudden tragedy, the dancers moved in compelling slow-motion. Eerily poignant, given recent events in Boston.
The finale could not have been grander. A live-feed camera took us backstage for “Digital Stage.” It was hip-hop in the hallways and dressing room. Then they came out and danced in the aisles as an invigorated audience clapped along and cheered, caught up in the exuberant celebration of youth.
The faculty and dancers really gave it their all, but there is one dancer I would like to highlight. Jewish community member Sidney Franklin was prominently featured in five of the nine dances. No stranger to San Diego theatre, I have seen Sidney grow from a promising teenager into a polished performer.
Zei Gezunt.
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Tauber is a freelance writer with an extensive background in theatre.