What a cool idea!
Even before the strong opening of this dance, INFJ (Choreographer: Kate O’Hanlon Bruns, Artistic Director), that was the thought of this reviewer. (Full Disclosure: a one-time ENFJ, now old enough to be lingering in that murky middle where E-I, N-S, F-T, and J-P tend to merge that as one matures.
In case you don’t recognize the alphabet soup acronym, these are the four parameter pairs that make up the Myers-Briggs Personality Types. The Modern Marvels Artistic Director first created this work as an undergrad to combine her two areas of study—dance and psychology.
Though this is an abstract work, early on the I feels palpable. We see the dancers seeming to be taking in energy Later, when their legs and hands feel the stage boundaries, we might scurry to our program to check if it’s an S that somehow is involved??? In this way, the idea of the dance is as engaging as the dance itself.
These are three strong women whose love of movement is contagious. In this writer’s view you need to be forewarned that they are not the kind of dancer athletes you see in the likes of the Joffrey or Hubbard. It may not be break-the-mold choreography, but it does engage.
Anyone nostalgic for the Dance Chicago of days gone by where different dance genres and troupes mingled in one program might concur that The Modern Marvels would be better served by a spot in such a program. They would be one of the top tier gems you discover with a sense of serendipity that makes the festival worth your time.
What’s next? Will it be a story ballet of how INFJ and ESTPs entangle? Probably not, but based on this performance The Modern Marvels are a group to watch.
RECOMMENDED
For information on upcoming performances, visit the Dance Chicago website.
Image courtesy of Dance Chicago.
About the Author: Amy Munice
Amy Munice is Editor-in-Chief and Co-Publisher of Picture This Post. She covers books, dance, film, theater, music, museums and travel. Prior to founding Picture This Post, Amy was a freelance writer and global PR specialist for decades—writing and ghostwriting thousands of articles and promotional communications on a wide range of technical and not-so-technical topics.
Amy hopes the magazine’s click-a-picture-to-read-a-vivid-account format will nourish those ever hunting for under-discovered cultural treasures. She especially loves writing articles about travel finds, showcasing works by cultural warriors of a progressive bent, and shining a light on bold, creative strokes by fledgling artists in all genres.
