OtB A.W.A.R.D. Show: Night Three

By far the most difficult evening for voting, the third night of the OtB A.W.A.R.D. Show presented four groups of very talented dancers and the choreographers behind them.

Whim W’Him returned for a second year, showcasing Olivier Wevers’ quirky FRAGMENTS. Set to the music of Mozart, the dancers (on loan from Spectrum Dance Theatre) burst at the audience, full of energy and lip-synching to the popular arias. In the first and third sections of the piece both dancers wore long skirts, and the jerky movements matched the allegro tempo of the music; there was a deliberate stiffness of the dancers’ limbs, but still a graceful flow of movement as they travelled around the stage. The middle section featured an adagio in which dancer Vincent Lopez removed his skirt and explored a range of contorted movement, his striking shadow against the back wall at times more mesmerizing than the dancer himself. 

Both choreographed and solely performed by Lauren Edson, Part of Your Life was an amalgamation of alternating dance and video. Edson is a pillar of strength, extending from her core, propelling herself to the point where it seems she will lose control of her movements—but she never does. Even through the frantic pace of some sections, Edson retains her grace, while the video projects creepy images of dolls and dollhouse furniture, as well as fast-forwarded images implying motifs of boredom and the monotony of being trapped in the same, everyday routine. In her movement Edson seems to break free from such restraints.

With eight dancers on the stage, SANDSTROMMOVEMENT’s the Decline, choreographed by Ellie Sandstrom, was visually exciting, and although putting that many people on the stage at one time is a risk, the performance was neither distracting nor confused. A mix of synchronized movement and free-flowing modern dance, there were lovely moments where it felt as though the dancers were parading their limbs through a viscous substance. Personally, I could watch Sandstrom frenetically throw herself onto the floor (and around the stage) all day long—it made for a very dramatic ending.

Coming from Can Can Cabaret, Rainbow Fletcher and Ezra Dickinson of The Offshore Project brought the audience The Buffoon (based off the Edward Gorey story The Doubtful Guest), with Dickinson playing the title character. A full band backed the dancers, and the piece was comical without being kitschy. The men of Offshore Project have the strength perfect for executing graceful lifts and various acrobatics, and Fletcher is a skillful dancer, exuding a soft femininity while giving the audience some flirty attitude. Dickinson used various props such as an orange velour wing chair and a wooden table to facilitate various demonstrations of flexibility.

Breaking rank with the previous night’s pattern (the first performers on the first and second nights are moving on to the finals), it was The Offshore Project that won the hearts and minds of the audience, and they will perform again tonight for the grand prize of $10,000. 

Although my top vote for the evening went to Whim W’Him’s FRAGMENTS, I think the matchup for the finale will prove a tough choice for the panel of expert judges.

My prediction? I think tEEth's sensuality, innovation and beautiful dancing will take the gold.