Dramatic Dance Sequences Dazzle at Synapse
By Akemi Rico | Social Media Editor
Synapse at BroadStage beckons viewers into a mesmerizing dreamscape of masterful dance choreography.
The interplay of music, colors, light and shadows on stage during the Santa Monica College (SMC) Contemporary Dance performance Synapse created an eloquent backdrop for the dancers. The costumes added to the story but didn’t distract. What stood out was the movement, the expressions, spins, gestures and sudden leaps or drops to the floor.
The Synapse Contemporary Dance theatre began more than 50 years ago with SMC’s first dance faculty member, Linda Gold, according to Mark Tomasic, Dance Department Chair. “First and foremost, it’s a class. Through this class, we are educating our students on how to become professional dancers. It’s really giving them as close to a professional dance experience as possible.”
Oscar Urquilla and Nicolas Albuja, also known by their stage names B-Boy Tequila and B-Boy Nico, respectively, are SMC alumni and guest performers. “It’s extremely impressive to see student choreographers put together a whole piece, with lights, music,” said Urquilla, “and on top of that, seeing a lot of students doing four to six pieces. Learning all that choreography is not easy.”
Jade Lelievre is a student choreographer for the show who is also dancing in six pieces. A dance major from France, she is performing in her third Synapse production. “It’s a lot of hard work, it’s very stressful, but it’s very exciting,” Lelievre said.
On stage, each choreography tells a different story. Lasting about ten minutes each, the dances create a world of mystery, drama, intrigue and beauty, culminating at the end with an enthusiastic hip-hop dance party. There are storytelling elements and themes that run through each piece, creating a narrative without an obvious plot. What is obvious, though, is the effort and dedication invested by the performers in bringing this show to life.
Daveth Cheth, SMC dance major from Cambodia, who has been dancing with Synapse for three semesters, said, “I really feel the professors care about the work that they do, they care about the quality of the work, and they care about the well being of the dancers. I really feel supported and taken care of in the dance department here at SMC.”
When asked to describe Synapse in her own words, Angela Jordan, SMC alumni and guest choreographer, said, “Synapse is a combination of artistic visions brought to life through student dancers. It’s the artistic vision of faculty, guest artists, and student choreographers.”
She paused, then continued. “It’s different subject matter, storytelling, and ideas brought to fruition by physical moving art. It is an alignment of the heart, the mind, the soul, and lived experiences, as well as the imagination and peoples’ perspectives and viewpoints of that particular subject matter. The performers avail themselves to be the storytellers so it can impact [the audience].”
The production will show for two nights, at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 4, and Sunday, Nov. 5, in The Broad Stage at the SMC Performing Arts Center, located at 1310 11th St. (at Santa Monica Boulevard), Santa Monica, CA 90405.
