‘Atypical’ is fascinating sufficient: Lynn Modell’s ‘Attention-grabbing Ladies’

Congregation Kehillath Israel (seen just about).
November 9, 2023.

In Greta Gerwig’s Barbie (definitely a 2023 mega blockbuster), America Ferrera’s character proposes “Common Barbie”: simply a median girl going through each setbacks and triumphs, and easily making an attempt her greatest every day. It’s one of many moments within the movie that, months after seeing it, nonetheless sticks with me. 

Attention-grabbing Ladies, from Boston-based Lynn Modell, put one thing of that concept into dance: that girls shifting as girls do, telling their real tales, in a group setting – that’s all “fascinating” sufficient. Honesty, humor and tasteful understatement set the scene for the “atypical” being simply as compelling because the flashy, huge and costly ever may very well be. 

It started with a solo performer (Lonnie Stanton), a white lab coat giving her knowledgeable air. She moved on, close to and round a plain white desk…all fairly pleasantly minimalist. World cafe music, with a flamenco twinge, accompanied her (“Impressões” by Divan Gattamora). The motion was largely pedestrian. Composing and performing that kind of motion takes a unique form of virtuosity than that of supremely athletic motion. Even when the motion turned extra advanced and technical, it continued to supply that virtuosity. 

5 extra girls entered quickly sufficient, signing in with Stanton’s character after which taking a seat. Dancing in unison, in chairs, these people got here off as atypical people who transfer; their on a regular basis high quality shined by. I used to be fairly “” certainly – one, as a result of their evident humanity allowed me to narrate to them and two, out of curiosity. Who have been these girls, what was this place, and why have been they right here? 

Maybe that didn’t matter a lot. The scene felt particular sufficient for me to ask these questions, however common sufficient for there to be many, many attainable solutions. With video on provide subsequent, laughter changed my curiosity. Modell interviewed a visitor on her “Attention-grabbing Ladies” present, with simply sufficient of the keenly absurd to get the viewers chuckling. That’s one other high quality that will proceed all through this system: a pinch of wackiness to encourage the viewers to let free slightly. 

The ensemble created that form of humor in a subsequent dance part: with humor in dance tried pretty usually, achieved much less often. The 5 of them (the identical who had signed in after which danced in chairs), took delicate balletic steps but in addition supplied a Latin dance bearing and rhythm – all whereas carrying tutus. 

They executed small jumps, but in addition flicked their toes up and again whereas turning palms upward. The motion vocabulary felt simply as recent and unique as the general program (learn: very a lot these issues). The viewers, nonetheless chuckling away, gave the impression to be consuming all of it up. This system continued in that format: peppering dialogue and monologue in between dances. Such a multimodal high quality can add one thing intriguing for any viewer, and thus has potential to widen live performance dance’s attraction and accessibility. 

Exhibit A: Modell’s “Bittersweet Jacob’s Pillow Story” numbers 1-4 recounted her ongoing challenges by some means often tying again to the storied dance establishment. As with after I take heed to podcasts with seasoned dance artists, I like listening to their tales — the great, unhealthy and ugly. Modell’s supply, with only a contact of deadpan, made these tales all of the extra pleasant.

There have been extra entertaining episodes of “Attention-grabbing Ladies”, as well. These have been girls’s sincere tales, with a touch of satire to style. None of it was overtly feminist, both; it appeared as if making area for girls’s tales made these statements, and did that work, simply advantageous sufficient. 

As for the dance aspect of issues, the environment shifted from part to part. One had dancers shifting beneath and thru midnight-blue lighting (by Anne Dresbach), in a contemporary dance idiom of lengthy strains and intentional footwork. The motion took its time, permitting itself to relish – refreshing, with a lot of dance feeling sooner and sooner lately. The 4 performers (Andrea Blesso, Ann Fonte, Amy Jill and Nora Stephens) capitalized on these qualities. They introduced stellar musicality and pleasing launch. Nothing was muscled, solely moved by.

One other part – as zany and chuckle-inducing as “Attention-grabbing Ladies” – had Modell chopping one other girl’s (Ann Fonte) full-bodied bob. Each performers introduced that thoughtfully pedestrian virtuosity — of easeful high quality of motion, of presence, of musicality, of charming characterization. No countless turns or sky-high leaps have been wanted right here to drag me proper in.

After describing how her work nearly took the Jacob’s Pillow stage (a dream dashed because of the COVID pandemic), Modell shared a strong sentiment: “When you’ll be able to’t attain your desires, you make new ones,” like acting at Congregation Kehillath Israel that evening. Then, the ensemble offered the work that they would have carried out at Jacob’s Pillow, full with huge white hoop skirts, Founding Father curly white wigs, a Baroque rating (from George Frideric Handel), rooster head bobs and hip shakes. I wholeheartedly appreciated the dearth of worry to only be plain foolish! 

Like a lot of what I had seen so removed from this program, it was each absurdly humorous and delightful in its personal means. It additionally hit me at that time; this was an intergenerational forged of assorted physique sorts, with the motion accessible to all – that virtuosity of efficiency reigning over certainly one of athleticism. These have been common and fascinating girls, certainly! 

One other totally pleasing dance theater part adopted. One dancer took off her hoop skirt, and so they all gasped…after which all adopted swimsuit. They repeated the identical course of with their wigs. As if flapper phoenixes rising from the ashes of Victorian mores, they then all danced jazzy vocabulary – their presence daring and confident. Even whereas sustaining their efficient understatement, the dancers constructed a fiery environment (and the purple lighting helped there). 

There we had it, that was the 40-minute program — quick and candy, with every part additionally feeling like a perfectly-sized little bundle. Modell didn’t appear eager about extra for extra’s sake (brava to that!). Identical to every artist onstage, and all that they generously shared, what was was sufficient – greater than sufficient. 

Sure, we will discover the fascinating within the atypical — throughout us, and in ourselves. Thanks for the reminder, Lynn Modell and collaborators! True to humorous type, she gave full permission (kind of) for viewers members to exit earlier than the post-show “Q and A”. “Go, go take pleasure in that Netflix factor you have been watching; it gained’t be there if you get house.” The viewers, laughing but once more, totally obtained the joke.