Contemporary dance company Visceral Dance Chicago opened their fall engagement performance Thursday night.
The show’s setlist was marked by three world premieres, exploring themes of navigating uncertainty and transformation to connect with the audience.
“I want to make sure that everything has a different feel yet overall maintain the human connection,” said Nick Pupillo, Founder and Artistic Director of Visceral.
The show was part of a four-day run at the Museum of Contemporary Art. The program featured world premieres “Fielding Time,” choreographed by Kevin O’Day, “Lost Together,” choreographed by Marco Palomino, and “Pearl,” choreographed by Nick Pupillo, as well as works the company had performed before.
The program displayed the artistic and athletic strengths of the dancers and forged connections between dancers, choreographers and audience members.
Meagan McManus, a member of Visceral Studio Company, a pre-professional dance training program adjacent to the professional company, said she enjoyed seeing a different side of the dancers.
As Visceral Studio Company members, dancers take classes from guest choreographers and interact with the company dancers in rehearsals and classes. McManus said she found it interesting to compare the class they get from the choreographers to their staged choreography.
“I like the versatility of the styles and qualities,” she said.
The post-intermission opener “Lost Together” began with a monologue instead of music. Three dancers, framed in a rectangular spotlight, moved to the words about humans existing in one world of trillions of galaxies. The work, characterized by exaggerated facial expressions, intricate movement, dynamic music and a variety of sound effects, transitioned into sections that included all of the dancers.
Audience member Kacey Youso appreciated the monologue as a way to connect with those who might not be familiar with concert dance.
“With the inclusion of words in that particular piece, you’re transported into a space that is more intentional,” Youso said.
Marco Palomino, choreographer of “Lost Together,” said the work’s central theme is our shared experience of never knowing our purpose as human beings.
Palomino also said dance opens the door for him to communicate with others in a way that language limits him as a non-native English speaker.
“I cannot go as deep as I want with my words, but I am able to do that with my body and with my feelings,” he said.
Pupillo said he tried to apply the feeling of being lost in the broader world by encouraging and creating works that evoke thought and response from the audience regardless of the feedback’s connotation.
Bringing in guest performers is a significant part of this as he strives to create diverse show programs that highlight the strengths of Viscerals’ dancers.
For his choreography, Pupillo often draws inspiration from music and art, but his premiere and finale of the show, “Pearl,” was a work that evolved with the artists as they worked with the guest choreographers.
He pointed out a moment in “Pearl,” in which the stage lighting resembled an eclipse as it shifted over the dancers. His inspiration was the total solar eclipse that occurred earlier this year, during which Chicago experienced 94% coverage of the sun. The reference underscored the work’s theme of transformation in a way that resonated with the Chicagoan audience.
“I want our audiences to experience something that is very personal, and what we experience on stage is not just for us,” Pupillo said.
Visceral Company dancer Da’Rius Malone emphasized the importance of having a live audience for connecting with the choreography, especially when many pieces demand emotional maturity from the dancers.
It’s difficult to see the purpose of the work in an empty theater — the dancers feed off the reactions of audience members, Malone said.
“Hearing the gasps and hearing how amazed the audience is … keep us driving,” he said.
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