Photos By Blanca Esthela Castañeda García / Staff
By Blanca Esthela Castañeda García
COVID tried to ruin the fall dance concert but got stomped.
Ain’t no backdown in Motown.
In a classic case of “the show must go on,” Professor of Dance Dana Maue and her talented team refused to let a little something like a global contagion bring down an early curtain. They kicked aside the vitriolic virus that knocked several dancers out of the “Ain’t to Proud to Dance” concert in the PAC. Passion and pizzazz prevailed.
Inspired by “Motown,” the musical based on the legendary Detroit record label and its founder Berry Gordy, guest dancer/choreographer Kevin “Blax” Burroughs lit up the stage both as the lighting designer and performer. His slick performances and his dancers channeled the soulful precision of The Temptations, whose soaring harmonies and harmonious dancing propelled them into the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame.
Choreographer Gina Bolles Sorensen had a tough act to follow, but did so with theatrical works festooned with props, costumes and stagecraft underscoring her ensemble’s tight and athletic teamwork.
Maue blended the angelic voices of a young Michael Jackson and Marvin Gaye with flashiness evocative of shows from Harlem’s Apollo Theater during the heyday of R&B. Guest choreographer Shannon Mueller contributed a dreamy dance with hazy lighting and metaphysical movement that drifted the audience into another dimension. (The Fifth Dimension?)
Vyviana Tellez and Michelangelo Sansano excelled in a romantic Latin dance choreographed by instructor Gonzalo Ruelas. Rocking DeBarge, guest choreographer Dylan Banares crafted a playful dance through stylized krumping and aggressive hip-hop steps.
Motown gave was to Mexico when instructor Manny Chavoya presented folklorico’s fancy footwork and flower fields of color. Joy abound and the audience clapped thunderously as one to the percussion steps.
Brilliant music by legends Stevie Wonder, James Brown and Marvin Gaye put wings on the shoes of dancers choreographed by Johana Tapia, Talia Castellanos, Jaami Waali-Villalobos and Faith Jensen-Ismay.
Tina Turner had the final say so with her kinesthetic interpretation of “Proud Mary.” Her raw-to-the-bone vocals and headlong tempo inspired dancers to find another gear.
Southwestern’s Latino, Filipino and White performing artist gave props to their Black brothers and sisters in R&B who pioneered daring new music and dance forms. Motown was a voice from the upper Midwest that thundered across the plains, mountains and deserts of America with relentless creativity and stylized performance. “Ain’t to Proud to Dance” was equal to the task.
