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A "SOCIAL" DISASTER?
by Jennifer Garcon

I'm not entirely sure that my opinion is the most credible, however it may be the most honest account of Cynthia Oliver's newest dance production. The appropriately named AfroSocialiteLifeDiva, which explores centuries of female evolution and promotes female empowerment, falls short of its goal, disappointing many and pleasing few.

"Disorienting", "confusing" and "seemingly circular" are all words that accurately describe Diva. As disappointing as the performance was, I must acknowledge many of the aspects that were interesting. For example if you are compelled to still pay your hard earned money for this production, I would recommend going early to watch rehearsals. This could have possibly been the most interesting moments of the production, seeing the dancers together, watching the undeniably strong chemistry while they dance and fool around.

However this kind of childish charm dissipates quickly as the lights dim and the performance begins. As the lights dim, so did the clarity of the piece that quickly moved from a declaration of womanhood and into a confusing display of womanly characteristics. The performance begins with a the symbolic birth of woman, from the womb of her mother into a life already designed for her liking, but as instantly as the dance sequences begin, you start to wonder. Are they supposed to stumble about, and bump into one another? Either way, the choreography moved away from a more traditional and polished look, into a kind of random sequence of movements that ultimately left the dancers looking lost, wandering the stage aimlessly, and than sporadically reemerging from their daze into another sequence of intricate movement.

Despite the confusing visual elements, the overall message of the "almighty" women nearly smacked you as you walk through the door. Everything from the cast, to the writer, to the choreographer screamed the over all message that women are emerging as a powerful force in society. Despite my own personal feeling of feminism, and the fact that I consider myself a feminist, I found this display to be disturbing to say the least. It exhorted a kind of "no men allowed" quality that I think hampered the production because it gave very little to the male audience.

However one-sided the production was, it did somehow manage to empower even me for a moment. One of the many problem is, this kind of empowerment seems only momentary, because nearly five to ten minutes afterward, you're left still confused and disoriented. Perhaps the message was too dense to be understood, and Oliver's attempt to reach ALL women overly hopeful, because I didn't leave feeling better off or more knowledgeable. Instead I left in a daze, wondering why I had opted to attend the production. Or why I hadn't realized within the first five minutes, as my eyelids began to feel heavy, that maybe this was going to be an hour I could never get back.

Obviously, I can't persuade and likewise I can't deter anyone from going to see the show. Because I'm sure that it could mean different things to different people. However a word of caution, if you can even remotely relate to what I have recounted, sit close to the exit and dash for the door if conditions allow.