“Invasion”, conceived and choreographed by Louise Reichlin had its premier with digital animation by Audri Phillips at Los Angeles Theater Center on Oct 2/3, 2015. It was performed by Louise Reichlin & Dancers/ Los Angeles Choreographers & Dancers, and part of IMPLOSION: A Pairing of the Arts, produced by Project21Dance. Following are program notes and dancers:
This piece is sci-fi, and has to do with what happens when we are invaded by another species (or metaphorically, what happens when very diverse qualities from diverse cultures come together). Who changes who? What is the result? The piece begins with 2 beings that see a carefree, almost childlike person. They interact, and all 3 are now part of the “beings”. Next is a duet of love and great sadness that is passed on to the beings. Last is a passionate Tango that is sexual and violent. They all merge in the electrifying ending.
Premier without Projection
Choreographer: Louise Reichlin
San Pedro ♥ Festival of the Arts
Ports O’Call, San Pedro, CA
9/20/15
Premier with projection
Choreographer: Louise Reichlin
Digital animation: Audri Phillips
Music by Peter Gabriel, arranged by John Metcalfe with Peter Gabriel, Vivaldi, Marco Beltrami, Astor Piazzolla
Part of Implosion, A Pairing of the Arts
Los Angeles Theater Center, Los Angeles CA
10/2 & 3/15
Original Dancers:
The Arrival: Kistina Pressler & Glenn Rodriguez
Innocence & Play: Linnea Snyderman
Love & Loss: Coree McKee & Roman Bykov
Passion & Violence: Elizabeth Ann Poinsette & Kirby Harrell
Press Quotes
"Below, is a highlight of the three-day festivities: Invasion (Louise Reichlin) was a thrusting, vibrant assault of motion, a piece in which entropy and corresponding movement were continuously fractured and restored."
Booking Dance Festival/ NYC (Invasion) "My 2 favorite dance pieces were from the Louise Reichlin & Dancers/LA & the FJK Dance/NYC. Reichlin's pastiche of ballet, gymnastics and modern dance was a marvel of musicality and mixed movement. The piece ebbed from classical to modern seamlessly. There was whimsy and beauty expertly performed by 3 separate groups. Reichlin talented company represented a very diverse group."
"This work functioned on the idea of accumulation. The premise of the work addresses a futuristic society coping with an invasion of another species. With each section, a new movement idea was introduced (as well as a new costume color) that then became assimilated into the larger whole of the ensemble. It was a provocative and complex idea, and again I found the program notes much appreciated. ... the message of the work was successfully conveyed to me, and I very much appreciated the choice to address the big questions of life, identity and cultural assimilation through a dance abstraction."
From Current Presenters
"We truly like Invasion as it pulls so many elements into one force."
"Your piece received great feedback from the panel. I personally LOVE that piece. Excited to have you included again this year."
From the preview of San Pedro Festival of the Arts, 8/29/15, Alvas Showroom. First showing of Invasion in progress, dancers in rehearsal clothes, no media, documented on video.
(Members of audience responding to post performance interaction- unless Louise is asking a question.)
Louise: “Did any of you have ideas about what is missing? What connections do you need?”
Suggestion: “I know you are wearing practice clothes. I would like to see something in the costuming so I could follow each story all the way through.”
Louise: “some color coding?”
“In the beginning, I wasn’t sure who we were seeing – but then as the beginning progressed – the transitions are really cool, but it felt like maybe more caution since the beginning and how they come together as they are not of the same world. It seemed like all of a sudden there was “friendship”. And it would be great if the universe really worked that way.”
Louise: talks about the idea of something they might attach to and become part of.
“I thought it was beautiful. The expressionism of dance and emotion – you didn’t really have to say too much about your work in progress. The momentum the beginning and the interaction like a sonata I thought it worked very well. It translated as a dance as it ought to- it built the entire silence to the emotion.”
“I thought the piece absolutely riveting and complex. I loved the way it morphed from movement to movement. I especially loved the explosion of joy with the Vivaldi after the kind of strangeness of the alien invasion. I just thought it was perfect.”
“I also think it was really perfect. I think that it adds a lot having them in neutrals- they were wearing neutrals and I could be more involved in what they were doing.
Louise: “You do have to use your imagination when there is less in costuming.”
“The dancing was so good and acrobatic.”
Louise: We have been pushing the acrobatics. (dancers react)
“I thought it was too short. I wanted a little bit more. (audience chimes in agreeing)
“There was so much going on. But it was so beautiful from beginning to end that I wanted more of each section. The duet and trios- They were so beautiful and the dancers did a great job.”
“Love the movement.”
Louise– “It was choreographed very out of sequence. The end of the dance was choreographed in the very first rehearsal. This dance comes from a lot of different places.”
