Six athletic ladies move gracefully across the stage in a mixture of contemporary dance routines for the opening of the Fringe show, Piece of Mind, at the Robert Gill Theatre.
Being an avid fan of dance, I was especially excited to see the show. It was non-stop movement as my eyes moved from one dancer to the next.
I particularly enjoyed the first dance piece, Treibsand (“quicksand” in German) performed by Amanda Davis who not only danced well but emoted in a way that captured my heart. It was through her emotional movement I could feel the story of a woman conflicted with complete doubt as she struggled to understand what her body was like now being pregnant. The symbolism of the red balloon in this piece was well used and in many ways added to the suspense of this dance piece.
Another standout dancer with a fighter spirit was Catherine Larocque. All I can say is that I would not want to get into a boxing ring with her! Her strength was apparent as she seamlessly tackled down one of the dancers, Cristina Tucciarone, several times. Let’s just say that this dance sequence was better than your typical ‘cat fight.’
I enjoyed the music and sound that was used in a Piece of Mind. I found myself wanting to get up at times and move to the exotic tunes. The transitions however from track to track didn’t always seem to work and I found it to be a little distracting at times. The lighting design complimented the dancing for the most part except at times when I found some of the dancers performing in the shadows.
I think it can sometimes be challenging for dance shows to be in a theatre festival and it is wonderful that Fringe has been inclusive of dance. Because this is primary a theatre festival, storytelling becomes a focus even for dance companies and I believe Skindivers has done a commendable job in trying to tell a story through dance.
If you are looking to escape from the heat, be in an air conditioned theatre and listen to great music while watching some beautiful dancing, then you don’t want to miss a Piece of Mind!
Opens July 3rd and runs to July 13
Performances:
July 3, 2013 at 7:00 pm
July 5, 2013 at 1:45pm
July 8, 2013 at 7:00 pm
July 9, 2013 at 4:30 pm
July 10, 2013 at 4:15pm
July 12, 2013 at 6:15pm
July 13, 2013 at 8:45pm
Venue: Robert Gill Theatre, 214 College Street, 3rd Floor (St. George St. Entrance)
Tickets:
- At-the-door tickets: $10
- At-the-door tickets are available at the Robert Gill Theatre starting one hour prior to show time – cash sales only.
- Advance tickets: $11
- Advance tickets go on sale June 15, 2013
- Purchase online: fringetoronto.com
- By Phone: 416-966-1062, ext 1
- In Person: During the Festival Box Office in the parking lot behind Honest Ed’s (581 Bloor St W)
Photo provided by Skindivers Dance Company