8/8/2019 Jazz Paper 2

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/jazz-paper-2 1/3

Cassie Smith

April 16, 2010

Between Heaven and Earth

Over spring break, I attended the performance of “Between Heaven and Earth” by H.T.

Chen and Dancers of New York City. The performance took place on Friday, March 19, 2010,

at 8:00 pm. The production was performed at Florida Atlantic University. Before the

performance began, the curtain was down. To begin, all the lights were turned down and then

the curtain opened.

In the first half of the performance, traditional and contemporary dance was portrayed. It

was telling a story of the caged being within, as he brings an abstracted lion to life. The central

character was the lion, and everyone kind of seemed to focus on him. The lion, played by

Renouard Gee was very dominant whenever he was on stage. He was a kind of older man and

the story focuses on his character so his movements are more rigid and solid, representing

courage and grace.

Many of the different sections in this piece were sort of odd, it was supposed to depict

what it means to be human, animal, fanciful, and majestic. I did notice many of the movements

we use in class. The dancers feet were always very pointed or in a flexed position. I noticed

many lifts, kicks and leaps. Much of the pieces weren’t really synchronized and each dancer

would have their own individual choreography.

The second half of the performance was vastly different than the first. In the first

half, the dances were very aggressive with much loud, intense music. The second half was more

soft and graceful. This half was to represent imagination and daydreams. It didn’t really follow

8/8/2019 Jazz Paper 2

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/jazz-paper-2 2/3

a storyline but the different sections created a dream-like scenario.

One part that really stood out to me that I enjoyed was the section called “Cluster.” In

this section, the six dancers lined up to create a whole, like the petals of a flower. They used a

ripple effect and moved their arms in an elegant way.

Each piece was presented differently when it came to a matter of if they were in unison or

not. At some points in the performance the dancers would feed off of each other and present

their individual choreography. While at other times, the dancers would dance in unison. They

were successful at presenting both styles of dance, especially whenever they were in unison or

using a ripple effect, the timing was accurate.

The directing of the performance was very unifying. The first half told a story of the lion

and how it was growing. Each section flowed right into the next without any pauses or

interruptions. While the second half didn’t tell a specific story, the idea of illusions and

dreaming was very well portrayed.

The costumes in the first half were yellow tops with hanging strips of cloth. Their hair

was done in random braids and wild looking. These costumes represent the animalistic nature of 

the growth of a lion. In the second half, the costumes were more elegant and clean. Their hair

was done more simply as to represent the dream-like theme. The lighting for the majority of the

performance was dark with the use of spotlights, and it did not change much throughout the

piece. It was well lit and all of the performers could be seen throughout.

My general impression of this performance is that it was very original and creative. I

probably would not go see this performance again just because it got slightly boring at times

considering it was so long. At times I was confused about what exactly was going on and what

8/8/2019 Jazz Paper 2

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/jazz-paper-2 3/3

was trying to be portrayed. I definitely enjoyed the second half of the performance much more

than the first half.