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As part of a skater development program, the dancers of Ice Dance Elite recently ventured down to the Cannon Theatre to experience Movin' Out. It is said to be a musical theatre production; but in reality, it is more of an extremely long dance with a large amount of over-the-top facial expression. No dialogue is used to tell the story of a group of five friends, fresh out of high school. Instead, through dancing, the story is told using body language and the lyrics of Billy Joel music. The story is based on the lyrics of the songs. The different characters perform many different types of dance, each with a unique style. Some have a graceful style, whereas others perform many large jumps and spins. The incorporation of these different styles makes the performance diverse and interesting to watch.
However, a disadvantage to only using dance and music to express a story is that it can be confusing. Different people can have different interpretations of the same piece, which makes it difficult to tell a story.
If you were expecting to see a Broadway production with dialogue and songs (sung by the performers), this show may have been a disappointment. On the other hand, if you were expecting amazing choreography and talented dancers, you were sure to be satisfied. The creativity and uniqueness of the performance, in accompaniment with the dancers created an exciting atmosphere. However, if you are not one that enjoys watching only dance, I would recommend going to another show.
The first act of Movin' Out focuses on the five friends in the '60s. James and Judy are ready for marriage, whereas their close friends, Brenda and Eddie, have broken up. Tony has fallen in love with Brenda, who has become an independent woman. The five of them have been having a great time, but a war takes the men away, and they leave their anxious loved ones behind. Eddie and Tony return home, and Judy is left grieving for her lover, James, who died in combat.
In this act, the dancing wasn't very impressive, but the energy level of all the dancers was very high, making up for the show's shaky start. The colours of the costumes in this half of the performance were all bright and vibrant, making the youth of the five friends more evident and appealing.
The second act of Movin' Out is very different from the first act. The entire feeling and atmosphere of the first act was replaced into a drearier one. Tony can't seem to be able to see eye-to-eye with Brenda anymore, and Eddie has ventured into drugs. One day, while Eddie is jogging, he comes across Judy. Eventually, she helps him deal with his problems, and he stops using drugs. Brenda and Tony rediscover the love that they used to have for each other, and for the grand finale, the four friends have a reunion.
In this act, the dancing improved significantly, even as the story lost some of its original appeal. What I found irrelevant was how one of the dances had very strong sexual gestures, which threw me back entirely. If this dance number had not been included, the story would not have changed drastically, but would have been more appropriate for younger children to watch.
Watching Movin' Out was a good experience for the dancers of Ice Dance Elite. It taught us how facial expression is crucial in telling a story through only dance (which is what we do in our Free Dances and Original Dances). Since there are no words to explain what is happening or what we have to try to emote in our dances, facial expression and movement are very important. By watching Movin' Out, we learned the importance of having these two key components in our programs to make them successful and enjoyable to watch.
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