How to Ask A More Beautiful Question?
By Tamara Johnson
With A More Beautiful Question, Keshet Founder and Artistic Director Shira Greenberg is tapped almost uncannily into the zeitgeist. The evening-length work features dances by eight choreographers delving into the nature and quest of questioning. “It is the more beautiful questions which guide our paths to investigate the genuine problems, allowing us to activate the most creative, meaningful solutions,” Keshet states to contextualize this deeply moving and philosophical show. The dances explore themes of free will and destiny, our potential to create change, the significance of time and the unconscious to an evolving person or idea, the role of play and delight of discovery, and how to persist authentically in the face of frustration or fear of the unknown. While the gravitas of such important questions can be paralyzing, it is gorgeous and heartening to see them interpreted through dance.
One of the pieces, playfully and appositely referred to as ‘_________’ insert your title here, uses improvisation to bring the question of “what now?” to each moment. The soloist, a different dancer on different dates, is unaware of which music will play until the moment it begins. The concept and performance bring the audience into intimate contact with the challenge of presence.
Another piece, Imomushi, celebrates the liberating power of friendship. The choreography by Elysia Pope and Juliana Gorena seems to remind us what more is possible when we are with people we love and trust. What might happen next when we’re moved by joy and not afraid?
In other dances, the performance draws the audience into confrontation with the existential pain of not being able to quite grasp an idea, not understanding what something means when we feel like we should.
Since the program is such a moving journey, it is lovely that the final piece is called Roads and Other Rituals. As a choreographer, Greenberg is excellent at finding honest body language and exploring multiple facets of meaning through patterns. In Roads and Other Rituals, the dancers seem to remind us that, no matter how hard the questions might be, we don’t have to grapple with them alone. The evening ends on a note of reveling in the human condition and curiosity.
Notably, the company members each perform in multiple pieces, all of which manifestly require unique mindsets and movement styles. The dancers do a remarkable job of fully bringing each choreographer’s vision to beautiful and unique expression.
The lighting design, by Edward Carrion, subtly and effectively creates dimension and ambiance. Costumes, by Diana MacNeil, contribute to the character of each dance and add layers of pattern with color throughout the show.
A More Beautiful Question runs Nov 8 and 9 at 7:00pm at Keshet Dance Company and Center for the Arts. Tickets are available HERE.
Photo by Pat Berrett, From left: Keshet Company Dancers Elysia Pope, Lara Segura, Laura Orozco Garrett