Day 2: 4 p.m. Time Slot

Show: Escape! (Dance Like No One is Looking)
Die Roll: 6
Venue: Howard Conn Fine Arts Center
Company: M. Summer Productions


This is one of the shows that I really wanted to see, and it was the start of a good day in total. On the whole this was a good show with good energy. It started with the main part of the dance company sitting in the audience pretending that the show was starting irritatingly late. They sloowly took the stage demanding that a show start, and then starting it themselves. It was a somewhat "cute" convention. Ans shifted entirely into "cutesy" when they grabbed a 4 or 5 year-old boy to join in the dancing. He was a fun addition, as he did tummy-spins and convulsion-like steps trying to mimic the tap-dancing of the company. The first chunk o' stuff was tap set to Led Zepplin. Four women who ranged in skill did an extremely fun routine.

The next set featured two twin teen fellas doing a hip-hop routine that was similar to those you see on TV on the "Live at the Apollo" talent shows on Sunday afternoons. They were good enough to be on that show, too. These two did a second set later on that brought down the house with their tap, too. Great dancers. Great fun. They were the highlight of the ting, for sure.

There was some sing-language inspired modern dance that was a little strained. And a routine that involved a reverse strip-tease (read: sexy woman getting dressed). The whole thing was good. The only weak number was the last one: an ensemble dance to "Purple Rain." It was clumsy-looking, and sucked the fun level out of the audience just before the curtain call. Prior to that, though it was exactly what I'd hoped for... and for those who like dance, but don't like watching the modern-inspired contortionism that makes up a lot of the smaller companies here in town, this was a good one.