THIRD WORLD choreographed by Diana Reyes/Fly Lady Di and ZAYO choreographed by Esie Mensah. At The Theatre Centre Franco Boni Theatre. Aug 11 at 10:30 pm, Aug 13 at 10 pm. See listings here and here. Review: NNNN
This double bill of works in development benefits from two strong and charismatic lead creators.
In THIRD WORLD, Diana Reyes sketches the many possibilities of a natural born mover discovering the land of her heritage (the Phillipines) at the ripe age of 32. The elegant arm undulations of the voguing, waacking and other house styles of which Reyes is a pro are a surprisingly good mix with movement from Filipino folkloric tradition. And while the narrative framework is not yet sturdy, Third Worlds potential to develop in many directions is clear beautiful worlds await.
Reyess star quality will make you want to go along to whichever ones she chooses.
Esie Mensahs Zayo wears its ambition a bit more visibly and feels a bit further down the development path.
In a dance of Afro-mythological cultural fusion, an elegant warrior (Mensah) undergoes many trials at the hands of a wicked ensemble. By turns moody and rousing, Zayo is already a thrilling blend of choreographic content, great music and rich performance detail.
How it proceeds from here will be something to see.
