Above: sax man José Carlos Cruzata Revé, and dancers Roxy King, Orlando Hernandez, Naomi Funaki, and Ana Tomioshi; photo by Titus Ogilvie Laing
~ Author: Oberon
Tuesday January 30th, 2024 - I haven't had this much fun in years...in decades, really! I Didn’t Come to Stay, an evening-length work from the New York City-based company Music From The Sole, opened at The Joyce on Tuesday night and it left me feeling higher than a kite. Everything about the evening was uplifting: such a joy to see...and to hear: for the musicians were beyond fabulous...and they can dance, too!
The Brazilian tap dancer and choreographer Leonardo Sandoval had rocked me with the brilliant piece he devised for the Philip Glass études program earlier this season.
Bassist/composer Gregory Richardson led the five-piece band featuring Jennifer Vincent (cello & bass...such resonant sounds!), José Carlos Cruzata Revé (delicious tones from his sax & flute), and stellar percussionists/keyboardists Noé Kains and Josh Davis, both of whom showed singing talent as well. The sounds and rhythms this ensemble produced were wondrously vivid and inspiring. And when they joined in the dancing, it gave the show one more thing to love.
As we settled in, a projected 'logo' floated on the backdrop: a circle and a triangle; these changed colors throughout the evening. The lighting for the entire performance, by Kathy Kaufmann, was a major factor in the brilliance of the show: shadow effects, and a segment with the dancers in silhouette, were meshed with vibrant saturated hues illuminating the backpanel. The costumes, by Dede Ayite, seemed ideally matched to each dancer's personality.
As the houselights dimmed, a commotion developed at the back of the hall: the dancers and musicians made a spectacular entrance, parading down the aisle and up onto the stage, singing and jamming. This created a feeling of rejoicing, which permeated the evening.
Hypnotic, irresistible rhythms filled the space as the dancing progressed from full ensemble numbers (including the musicians) to solos and passages for smaller groups. Both abundant, full-out athletic energy and intriguing subtlety came naturally to these titans of tap. A particularly engaging quartet brought together Gisele Silva, Mr. Sandoval, Lucas Santana, and Ana Tomioshi (photo above by Titus Ogilivie Laing). Early in the evening, a solo by Orlando Hernandez displayed his appealingly casual grace and smoothness of style; then we didn't see him again until the finale was imminent. Tall and super-cool, Gerson Lanza looked totally at home in every step and gesture; he also seemed to have a natural, effortless gift for acting. Along with Mlles. Silva and Tomioshi, the women all excelled technically: Naomi Funaki, a veritable speed-demon in some of the most demanding passages, and Roxy King, whose lively, suave dancing and sheer enjoyment in her art made her an audience favorite.
The evening sped by; most of the crowd - myself included - were bouncing and swaying in our seats the whole time. There was a roaring standing ovation at the end as the company made their exit up the aisle, high-fiving people, smiling, singing, drumming, and blowing kisses to as, whilst tossing streamers into the air.
What made the evening so special on a personal level was the fact that it made me feel young again. I was remembering how much I used to love going out dancing: in my late 30s, I had a much younger lover, and we would go out dancing most weekends, either in Hartford or P'town. Tonight, for the first time since then, I felt like dancing again.
~ Oberon