Over the weekend, SALT premiered Spring 11. SALT doesn’t disappoint, bringing a show that highlights their talents and wows the audience. It begins with a performance by the Ballet West Academy choreographed by SALT dancers. Seeing SALT showcase other companies is amazing – I love to see community involvement.
On The Nature of Being, choreographed by Ihsan Rustem, was the segway into the company’s own work. Ihsan’s choreography was powerfully evocative — epic music, lighting, movement, full white costumes with white cargo pants. One moment that remains unforgettable came when the lights turned warm above the dancers. Hovering from above, the audience saw a golden outline of the dancers’ skin and white costumes. The partnering was strong, fluid, and seemingly effortless — liquids of different viscosities pushing, pulling, and contorting against each other. They moved together naturally, but couldn’t mix.
Next, SALT2 made an appearance with Amy Gunther’s piece Heart Shaped Cookies. So silly, romantic, and weird — a type of weird that’s so authentic you can’t help but love it. This whole piece was lovely; different nostalgic love songs would switch on and off to cue the dancers, a couple of moments of yearning would be depicted by dancers traversing the space on a carriage made of others’ bodies, and a great amount of sass was present. The lights helped add finishing touches to the sense of story book romance. As each dancer sprinted to the corner and stopped in a graceful, lunging pose, it felt like a natural downpour. At some point, I noticed the cool wash painting these dancers was becoming warmer and warmer. The light made this moment seem like time was moving. This piece was one that definitely warmed the heart.
Noche No Te Vayas by Omar Román De Jesús came after intermission. This piece faded the line between daydream and reality. Before I read Omar’s program note, I jotted down, “Dancers, you are the magic that enables the world to dream without boundaries.” That narrative sang through the piece. Through gentle repetitive movement, shapes expressing longing, and a single lift, dancers were able to bring a sense of comfort to the stage. At times, dancers would move outside the light, and their image would seem like a distant memory. The pinterest style workwear made the movement in this piece feel like a romantic, optimistic dream — indulgent, ethereal, almost existential, completely lost in thought. As snow fell on stage, magic was achieved.
Last came All Too Human by Peter Chu. I didn’t get the pleasure of seeing this piece when it premiered last spring, but I have no ill feelings after having seen it for the first time Friday night. As an audience member, my attention went exactly where the piece wanted me to look. Although this work was highly emotional, the flow was excellent, showing many layered conflicts. One moment dancers were struggling to stay vertical in a shoulder stand, and then we’d see them fall heavy and quickly become vertical again. Another dancer performed a forceful internal monologue. Dancers were crossing back and forth from upstage and downstage pulled in multiple directions. I loved the ending, which felt like a return to the beginning refreshed by a change in perspective.
At the curtain call, the crowd rose from their seats to show the artists what they thought of their show. They were wowed. The dancers showed their great athleticism and beautiful artistry. The production team melded movement, visuals, and music. And the choreographers were able to build stories for the audience to live through. What a wonderful opening night!
Edison Corvera (they/them) is currently a queer Filipinx performer living around the SLC area. They attended Southern Utah University and studied theater arts and dance performance. Since moving to the Salt Lake area, Edison has worked with Myriad Dance, Ogden Movement Collective, and SONDERimmersive. Whatever artistry they find, Edison hopes to continue to find ways to implement their art with the community around them.