A Vampire Tale by Scorpius Dance Theatre
Lisa Starry’s “A Vampire Tale” presented by Scorpius Dance Theatre is frequently described as the Nutcracker of Halloween. It included story telling, pantomime, and a worthy of fame sound score, just like the Nutcracker. However, the inclusion of jazz and contemporary dance, aerial arts, a twisted vampire clown, and seductive vampires, makes “A Vampire Tale” an upgrade from the famous Christmas ballet.
Taking the place of a wooden nutcracker prince was a fleshy (slightly pasty) Vampire King. The Vampire King walked across the stage in steady power and grace with his chest thrusting forward. As he first lifted his gaze to the audience, you could feel the tension built in the chairs. He had captivated the room with his stern glare. As the story progressed, the audience viewed the softer side of the King as he fell in love with an innocent human girl, and was torn between his sired bond to his queen and clan, and the “beauty, innocence, and grace” of the human.
The show began displaying Daniel Davisson’s talent as a lighting designer. Bold colors highlighted rafters where baby vamps would crawl up and leer at the scene below, sizing up the audience for dinner. The stage was constantly filled with a light smog, creating a damp and chilled environment, similar to an underground vampire layer.
An original sound score, by Kristopher Hill, accompanied the opening light show. His compositions in “A Vampire Tale” brought forth a sense of foreboding, and sometimes contained a bass line that beat like a human heart and drove the vampires into a dancing frenzy.
After the light and sound show, the female and male vampires displayed their talents (apparently vampire’s also have strong segregations in gender roles). The women entered performing a synchronized jazz routine filled with hair whips, hisses, and other sexy vampire appeal. Then, the men appeared through a back entrance, and stole the show with their animalistic athleticism.
The men climbed into the rafters, executed flips, and showed off their talent to the audience. The men excited the crowd, and everyone cheered as they launched into the air from a push up position, and a vampire dive rolled beneath them. Whether they were dancing in synchronized movement patterns, or interchanging positions via catapulting through space, both of the opening numbers were visually striking.
The strength of “A Vampire Tale” was in the numbers. Viewing 25+ bodies move through space in synchronized movement created a sea of vampire sin, and visually harmonious heaven. Although Scorpius Dance Theatre has an incredibly talented cast, the movement did not need to be complex when all of the performers were on stage together. It was more striking to view several pictures pop out as a static image than to view convoluted jazz choreography.
As the evening continued, the audience learned that vampires do not like to eat bread. The audience also discovered what really goes on while vampires “sleep” in a coffin. The most erotic performance of the evening was during Act II Scene II when the vampires “went to sleep.” Male and female partners layed down in coffins together only to quickly rise from their rest into the red light special. Female legs were exposed, and mouths scantily grazed one another’s necks.
Perhaps too hot and steamy grandma, but finding smooth connections between bodies could have aided some other scenes in the show. The performers frequently lacked the rolling of the body that creates the seductive and catlike allure of the vampire.
The duets between the Vampire King and the Innocent Girl also lacked the softness needed to portray sensuality. As they were attempting to express an innocent yet lustful love, their limbs were stiff, and they did not soften and compress into one another’s bodies. Their inability to release and connect through breath made the love story incomplete.
“A Vampire Tale” is a show that has the ability to invite newcomers to a dance event, because it is designed to entertain. There is humor, story line, and jaw dropping athleticism. Sometimes concepts and choreographic ideas were revisited too frequently without variation. I would like to see more emphasis on creating unique choreography and partnering, utilizing the individual skills of the dancers, and further developing the split between genders in a less cliché expression of their differences.
However, I am honored to have joined the “Lisa Starry’s A Vampire Tale” cult. Perhaps it is because I am a sucker for Vampires (yes, I watch Vampire Diaries every week), or perhaps it is refreshing to see contemporary dance with a story line. Either way, I can not wait to see the story unfold again next year. “A Vampire Tale” continues to evolve every year, and does not seem to be anywhere near its last season.
Photography by Michael Simon
Review by Julie Akerly
October 10, 2014