‘Abnormal’ is attention-grabbing sufficient: Lynn Modell’s ‘Attention-grabbing Girls’

Congregation Kehillath Israel (considered nearly).
November 9, 2023.

In Greta Gerwig’s Barbie (actually a 2023 mega blockbuster), America Ferrera’s character proposes “Common Barbie”: simply a mean lady going through each setbacks and triumphs, and easily attempting her finest every day. It’s one of many moments within the movie that, months after seeing it, nonetheless sticks with me. 

Attention-grabbing Girls, from Boston-based Lynn Modell, put one thing of that concept into dance: that ladies transferring as girls do, telling their real tales, in a group setting – that’s all “attention-grabbing” sufficient. Honesty, humor and tasteful understatement set the scene for the “unusual” being simply as compelling because the flashy, massive and costly ever could possibly be. 

It started with a solo performer (Lonnie Stanton), a white lab coat giving her knowledgeable air. She moved on, close to and round a plain white desk…all fairly pleasantly minimalist. World cafe music, with a flamenco twinge, accompanied her (“Impressões” by Divan Gattamora). The motion was largely pedestrian. Composing and performing that type of motion takes a distinct form of virtuosity than that of supremely athletic motion. Even when the motion grew to become extra advanced and technical, it continued to supply that virtuosity. 

5 extra girls entered quickly sufficient, signing in with Stanton’s character after which taking a seat. Dancing in unison, in chairs, these people got here off as unusual people who transfer; their on a regular basis high quality shined by means of. I used to be fairly “” certainly – one, as a result of their evident humanity allowed me to narrate to them and two, out of curiosity. Who have been these girls, what was this place, and why have been they right here? 

Maybe that didn’t matter a lot. The scene felt particular sufficient for me to ask these questions, however common sufficient for there to be many, many attainable solutions. With video on supply subsequent, laughter changed my curiosity. Modell interviewed a visitor on her “Attention-grabbing Girls” present, with simply sufficient of the keenly absurd to get the viewers chuckling. That’s one other high quality that might proceed all through this system: a pinch of wackiness to encourage the viewers to let free a bit. 

The ensemble created that form of humor in a subsequent dance part: with humor in dance tried pretty usually, achieved much less continuously. The 5 of them (the identical who had signed in after which danced in chairs), took delicate balletic steps but in addition provided a Latin dance bearing and rhythm – all whereas sporting tutus. 

They executed small jumps, but in addition flicked their toes up and again whereas turning palms upward. The motion vocabulary felt simply as recent and authentic as the general program (learn: very a lot these issues). The viewers, nonetheless chuckling away, gave the impression to be consuming all of it up. This system continued in that format: peppering dialogue and monologue in between dances. Such a multimodal high quality can add one thing intriguing for any viewer, and thus has potential to widen live performance dance’s enchantment and accessibility. 

Exhibit A: Modell’s “Bittersweet Jacob’s Pillow Story” numbers 1-4 recounted her ongoing challenges in some way continuously tying again to the storied dance establishment. As with once I hearken to podcasts with seasoned dance artists, I like listening to their tales — the nice, unhealthy and ugly. Modell’s supply, with only a contact of deadpan, made these tales all of the extra pleasant.

There have been extra entertaining episodes of “Attention-grabbing Girls”, besides. These have been girls’s trustworthy tales, with a touch of satire to style. None of it was overtly feminist, both; it appeared as if making house for ladies’s tales made these statements, and did that work, simply high-quality sufficient. 

As for the dance facet of issues, the environment shifted from part to part. One had dancers transferring underneath and thru midnight-blue lighting (by Anne Dresbach), in a contemporary dance idiom of lengthy strains and intentional footwork. The motion took its time, permitting itself to relish – refreshing, with a lot of dance feeling quicker and quicker today. The 4 performers (Andrea Blesso, Ann Fonte, Amy Jill and Nora Stephens) capitalized on these qualities. They introduced stellar musicality and pleasing launch. Nothing was muscled, solely moved by means of.

One other part – as zany and chuckle-inducing as “Attention-grabbing Girls” – had Modell chopping one other lady’s (Ann Fonte) full-bodied bob. Each performers introduced that thoughtfully pedestrian virtuosity — of easeful high quality of motion, of presence, of musicality, of charming characterization. No countless turns or sky-high leaps have been wanted right here to tug me proper in.

After describing how her work nearly took the Jacob’s Pillow stage (a dream dashed because of the COVID pandemic), Modell shared a strong sentiment: “When you possibly can’t attain your goals, you make new ones,” like acting at Congregation Kehillath Israel that night time. Then, the ensemble introduced the work that they would have carried out at Jacob’s Pillow, full with massive white hoop skirts, Founding Father curly white wigs, a Baroque rating (from George Frideric Handel), rooster head bobs and hip shakes. I wholeheartedly appreciated the dearth of concern to only be plain foolish! 

Like a lot of what I had seen so removed from this program, it was each absurdly humorous and delightful in its personal method. It additionally hit me at that time; this was an intergenerational solid of various physique varieties, with the motion accessible to all – that virtuosity of efficiency reigning over one in every of athleticism. These have been common and attention-grabbing girls, certainly! 

One other completely pleasant dance theater part adopted. One dancer took off her hoop skirt, they usually all gasped…after which all adopted swimsuit. They repeated the identical course of with their wigs. As if flapper phoenixes rising from the ashes of Victorian mores, they then all danced jazzy vocabulary – their presence daring and confident. Even whereas sustaining their efficient understatement, the dancers constructed a fiery environment (and the pink lighting helped there). 

There we had it, that was the 40-minute program — quick and candy, with every part additionally feeling like a perfectly-sized little package deal. Modell didn’t appear serious about extra for extra’s sake (brava to that!). Similar to every artist onstage, and all that they generously shared, what was was sufficient – greater than sufficient. 

Sure, we are able to discover the attention-grabbing within the unusual — throughout us, and in ourselves. Thanks for the reminder, Lynn Modell and collaborators! True to humorous kind, she gave full permission (type of) for viewers members to exit earlier than the post-show “Q and A”. “Go, go get pleasure from that Netflix factor you have been watching; it received’t be there while you get house.” The viewers, laughing but once more, totally acquired the joke.