One Good Quote: "Tangram" with Megan Lowe Dances (December 2021)

Dancer Brenton Cheng jumps into the air, his hand connected via finger traps to the hand of another dancer, Megan Lowe, who props herself up off the ground horizontally. Photo by RJ Muna.

In Fall 2017, Life as a Modern Dancer launched a new concept for post-performance discussion and writing. The goals are multi-fold:

• What are new ways to invite post-performance writing (since so few publications now print dance reviews, and there are fewer and fewer dance critics in the United States)?
• How can choreographers hear and read more from audience members about their impressions and experiences of dance events?
• Can we offer new mechanisms for choreographers to gather language about their work, to further their work and to promote their work? 

The premise is simple. If you experienced "Tangram" with Megan Lowe Dances at the Joe Goode Annex in San Francisco December 9-12, 2021, please take a few minutes to leave a comment. Write down images, impressions, appreciations, and questions from the performance. These can be words, phrases, or a few sentences. 

We thank you for your time, support, and thoughtfulness. Here's to more dialogue, more reflection, and more writing on the dance performance experience. As choreographer Mariah Steele noted, we are "democratizing dance criticism."

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Comments

[Mike Dier]

A beautiful performance with both dancers flowing together and apart in a series of acrobatic moves. The dance consists of many different scenes; one lonely dancer in a corner only to be saved by the playful appearance of their partner, the two dancers seemingly in conflict with each other pushing each other away only to come tumbling back together, swirling over and around each other in impossible ways while joined at three fingers.

[Kiki Quach]

Wonderfully stimulating! The play with foam shapes through stacking, negative space work, and taping was very entertaining. Music + visuals had me moving my body through taps and stretches in my seat. And as a Chinese American myself, I felt at home and resonated with the dancer's stories through their movements and words.

[Beth MacLeod]

When I watched Megan dance I felt enormous freedom to fly, to fall, to roll, and to jump up high, even if my 71 year-old body can only dream! Such presence, and new and unusual lifts and weight-sharing in the duets.

[Johnny Huy Nguyen]

I am always blown away by the kinesthetic ingenuity present in Megan’s movement and to witness the chemistry between her and Brent was magical as they weaved, flew, and folded together. The movement was as inventive as much as it was connected, shifting the planes of action and gravity on their axes (the section in the corner was particularly arresting with Megan looking like she was walking on the wall and then moments later, Brenton looking as if he was floating in the air and stuck to it) while also speaking to themes of constructing identity and ourselves through ourselves (each dancer’s solos), our relationships (partnering) and cultural objects (the Tangram pieces). The work came straight our the gate, finished strong, and I loved the moments of quiet that popped up in the middle, bringing the themes together and letting the audience in to the inner worlds of both Megan and Brent. Dynamic and heartfelt.

[Jo Kreiter]

Megan Lowe Dances is continuing some traditions and inventing new ones. They nest the work inside Chinese cultural props, games, histories, and at the same time push forward new invention and expression. They reference flight that has come into performance via Scott Wells, Flyaway Productions, and years and years of contact improvisation. Yet they are utterly themselves, dancing inside a signature kinetic intelligence that pulls the audience in with delight.

[Lynn Huang]

It was such a joy to witness Megan and Brent and their seamless and inventive partnering work. I loved the use of shadows and corners, the way the wall became a third partner, the way they leapt/tumbled/moved in and out the light to animate the frame of what we are meant to see in the light and what we are meant to know and decipher in the shadows. It spoke to their consummate and sophisticated layering of props, imagery, text, partnering, falling, catching, supporting, and mirroring.

[Lisa Wymore]

Watching the dancers utilize their strength and fluidity as they intertwine feelingful narratives about acceptance and belonging is a joy to behold in Tangram! Exchange, response, inquiry, and weighted embodied expression abound in this high energy dance, giving me a glimpse into a deeper layer of knowing Megan and Brenton.

[SanSan Kwan]

Loved the fun interplay of weight and energy, support and flight between Megan and Brenton. A full sixty minutes of dynamic movement that never flagged!

[Joe Goode]

It is such a pleasure to watch a contact based artist develop a distinct voice that transcends the familiar vocabulary of contact improvisation. Megan Lowe has achieved that rare status. The show was a thrill. I brought a friend who is quite allergic to dance and he couldn't stop talking about it.

[ErinYen]

I love watching a puzzle unfold before my eyes. It was a joy to watch Megan Lowe Dances flow through tasks that kept the pace of the dance honest. I felt excited to find intricate details throughout the dancers’ partnership. My heart lept when Megan climbed the wall. Dancers exhibited expert command of their bodies through space.

[Shira Yaziv]

So beautiful to watch Megan and Brenton dance. I enjoyed the play and creativity with the various props (stick, blocks, fingertrap) combined with the partner sequencing and personal stories. The dancers' stamina was quite impressive as well.

[Rances Rodriguez]

An excellent show and great way to spend a Sunday evening. Choreography and movement were wonderful. Cant wait to see the next performance by Megan Lowe.

[Jeremy Elliott Snowden]

Tangram was absolutely wonderful. Megan & Brenton had such great chemistry on stage and their performance flowed so naturally together. The rhythm of the piece had a unique mix of vulnerability and intensity that I found really inspiring to watch. The use of wall space gave a great sense of tension as it almost cornered the dancers. I felt lucky to see some BTS of the performance, as well as shoot the final show.

[Christine Germain]

Megan brings such ingeniosity in creating dance vocabulary. Her creativity, artistry and physicality are brought to light throughout the piece. Megan and Brenton are generous performers with a sensibilty that shows a sincere connection to the space, each other, and the audience.

[Jennifer Perfilio]

I felt included in the work of Tangram, through its human offerings of both playfulness and sincerity. Bravo Megan and Brenton for your generosity, your unassuming power and control of the physical body, your focused puzzle piecing, and your sweet partnership, which felt real and simple.... a testament maybe to the goodness that comes from the practice of rigor, and the valuing of down to earth connection. (Of course, if you know Megan, you know that her beautiful down to earthed-ness is likely the foundation of her ability also to soar through the air. In Tangram, she once again delighted us with both her grounded and off the ground strength and grace.)

[David Mack]

A fun and exhilarating performance, it seemed as if the performers could keep going all night! The video was heartfelt, and it was a joy to see our very own Melissa dancing!