Audience Reviews from ...A DIFFERENT DRUMMER

Audience members had a lot to say about our December show at the Kelly Strayhorn Theater in East Liberty. Dance Alloy Theater had "reporters" collecting the thoughts and reactions of the audience. If you didn't get a chance to give your thoughts, post a comment. We'd love to hear from you.


(Favorite Part:) "In the first part, they picked themselves up."
James Edwards (on Duet), Kindergartener, Tampa, FL



"It was a thrill to be here. It was beautiful, sensual, exciting and I loved it. I will come out many more times to see Dance Alloy."
Mary Jo Kenne, Elementary School Counselor/ Former Dancer, Fox Chapel




"I thought the show was excellent. It was just as good as last year if not better and I’ll be back next year."
Guy Peluso, Arts Enthusiast, Bloomfield




"The show was great. I saw people that I never met before. That was the great part. The dancing was great. I liked how they were holding each other up in the air. That was the best part. I liked how it seemed like they were fighting in some way. It was pretty cool."
Adam Hakas, Student, Upper St. Clair



"First of all, this was my first time here and I was blown away. I thought it was amazing. Their talent and strength blew me away."
Karen Pollock, Graphics Marketing Coordinator, Stanton Heights

Behind The Curtain with MARINA HARRIS

Another great turnout for our first Behind the Curtain 2007/2008 Season. Marina Harris debuted TABLE OF CONTENT; a re-structured, re-choreographed, re-envisioned, and re-titled version of her 2005 piece BLUE QUARTET. Harris has done what many choreographers dream - to fix, tweak, and remold a work - an opportunity not often afforded artists or companies!

We brought back the reporters of last season to get audience reactions to the performance. Here's what they had to say:


"I think the idea of the relationship between people and the artistic expression brought back those emotions. ...I got it right away."
-Nick Earks, Toronto, CAN.
Occupation: Insurance


"I haven't seen any contemporary dance in a long time but I thought this was the most excellent use of horizontal space I've seen in long, long time. The emotion was so graphic. The dancers were all fabulous but it was expression. It brought out emotions in me that I hadn't expected. And I would want to see it again and again and again. It was humorous and it was serious. It brought out a lot of different emotions in me. It was truly an excellent presentation about relationships. I think dance is something that allows people to feel. We were talking about it in the audience that it's too bad that so many people can't even feel what they are experiencing, they're too afraid to feel."
-Mary Jo Geyer, Southside
Occupation: Professor at Chatham University


"I would have to say the dynamic between all of the people on stage [struck me]. Certainly the way that they were interacting with each other with the way that they looked at each other and also the way that they balanced each others timing with interactions of their bodies."
-Brenna Argall, Wisconsin
Occupation: Graduate student CMU (robotics)

One Audience Member's Reaction to FRAGILE

This reaction was e-mailed to us. Thank you for your contribution.


"Usually I don’t like plays, especially so here in Pittsburgh. Sitting so close to the actors in the theatre, I cannot suspend my belief when watching them. They are just people mouthing words. I don’t see the characters.

I was pleasantly surprised tonight, sitting so close. I found it to be much more rewarding to see the dancers, hear them breathe etc.

Beth’s piece was a balanced counterpoint to the first two performances. I found it interesting how the costumes built a physical place. I would be interested to know at what stage in the choreographic design the costumes came along. The piece would not have been the same without them. And so the music and the sonic landscape it created. I am surprised, I have to say, to read the prose poem that was the seed for the piece. Not at all what I expected it to be.

I wish in Donald Byrd’s piece there would have been more loss, more despair. Which I know is a funny thing to say. Loss is a singularly personal experience and one that never truly leaves you. I wanted to feel that more in that performance. Not a question of acting, maybe just of feeling.

'Duet’ was also, to me, about loss due to miscommunication and the sadness that results because of that.

It was an impressive first time to see the dance alloy and its dancers. I hope to continue."

-T.S.

Reviews from FRAGILE

Our reporters worked diligently to get the scoop on what the audience members really thought about Dance Alloy Theater’s spring premiere of FRAGILE. They talked to people just like you and are compiling responses so you too can be in the know. Check out what your friends and neighbors thought and post a comment. We can’t wait to find out your reaction, too.

AUDIENCE REACTIONS:



"I thought that the first two pieces were so much about the world and grief and loss and saying goodbye and trying to join the rest of the world when you don’t feel like it. I just thought it was amazing and so true."
-Sandra Caffo (on ARMS and No Consolation), Squirrel Hill





"This evening I enjoyed the show. There was so much energy. The dancers were absolutely fabulous and I’m glad I came."
-Bailey McCreery, Oakmont





"It was shocking how in one motion how much anger or violence could be displayed, how one slight motion can say so much. I thought it was significant that it was mostly arms and from the torso up, rather than as most dancers using their legs most of the time."
-Judi Galardi (on ARMS), Pointe Breeze




"Sometimes I didn’t know which was leading the music or the movement. They were so entwined. I liked how sometimes there wasn’t any music at all. There was just sort of an emptiness which seemed to kind of be repeated in the dance."
-Jane Fishman, Savannah, GA




"I actually saw the first two pieces Behind the Curtain and it was interesting seeing them again in the real performance atmosphere with costumes and lighting. I felt like the intimacy was a little bit diminished because there was all the separation between the artists and the performance. I really had an emotional reaction to the Donald Byrd performance the first time and I didn’t have it as much this time."
-Peter Pawlowski, Bloomfield




"I really enjoyed the performance. It was my first time being here, seeing the show. And my daughter who is three, she really enjoyed it as well. She got up and started doing the dance moves as well. It was really wonderful. It was an emotional piece (No Consolation)."
-Saudia Pepper and daughter, Desirae Nicole Nance, North Side




"I was struck by the whole range of emotions, so well expressed. Its like being hit by a tsunami of emotion to watch the performance. I think to call it dance is woefully inadequate because its singing, its movement of the whole body but its voice, its sound, its such a performance, its acting. I think dance is just not a good enough word to describe the performance. It was mesmerizing. It was phenomenal."
-Sven Hosford, Brookline




"...In No Consolation, the idea of struggle and the will to keep going, and the feeling that it’s the people you surround yourself with that keep you up or keep you down."
-Katherine, Clarion




"The second piece really moved me. It almost made me cry. I could feel the pain and the stress in the piece. I really enjoyed it."
Nikki, Monroeville