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| ABOUT TRaC |
MultiTRaC Winter 2003
"AfroSocialiteLifeDiva" at DTW "She's an AfroSocialiteLifeDiva!" No, this is not a description of the latest high maintenance popular culture singer. This phrase encompasses the retelling of the often complex, misunderstood lives that women lead. Through exhilarating choreography, soulful singing and uninhibited dialogue, Cynthia Oliver, Renee, Blossom, Maria and Cynthia captured the stories of a "family of women, generation, mother, daughter, sisters and friends." Five silhouettes appear on Dance Theater Workshop's intimate stage. The stage becomes engulfed in a bright light and five completely physically diverse women come face to face with their audience. They are here to make you understand the intimate tales that women, as a community, often experience. Cynthia Oliver, Renee, Blossom, Maria and Cynthia are in sync with each other, interlocking hands, and this action is act as an umbrella representing that women are united. Indulging in personal tales about growing up as a female in a male dominated world, the dancers often present such seemingly trivial phrases as "daddy's little girl" to more introspective words as "find me!" to the audience. As the emotions grew intense, the dancers beautifully fed off of each other's energy, appearing to be a very close-knit clan of girlfriends. Along with the well-written narratives came the passionate dancing; the audience was sometimes exposed to "childish" acts such as the five women giving each other piggy-back' rides to superb motions of every aspect of their bodies. It may have appeared to be a rampage at times with powerful background music, courtesy of live band, Straylight. However, behind the extremely overwhelming physical aspect (try singing, dancing, and speaking all at the same time) laid a genuine homage to the women who have endured so much before and to the women who face similar issues today. One piece that was incredibly touching was the performance given by all five women Cynthia Oliver, Renee, Blossom, Maria and Cynthia. The lights flickered from color to color, this was the time to expose the trials and tribulations that women face as victims to social standards. Dubbed as the "How is a lady suppose to act" story, Cynthia Oliver, Renee, Blossom, Maria and Cynthia energetically performed and denounced all the expectations involuntarily imposed on them as females. From having to sit with ones knees touching to smiling all the time, a woman was suppose to act in this manner every second of her life. Little did anyone know that these kinds of demands could drive a woman into sincere madness. Cynthia Oliver, Renee, Blossom, Maria and Cynthia surely became victims to this insanity as they displayed their defiance through a hilarious montage of trying to give into these demands. Without a doubt any woman can truly empathize with these demands. The show ended as it returned to the words "She's an AfroSocialiteLifeDiva!" Choreographer and writer, Cynthia Oliver's friend coined this term when he observed Cynthia's flawless transformations into diverse atmospheres. If being an AfroSocialiteLifeDiva includes being associated with brilliant dancing and emotion-filled writing then one must wonder, when can I become an AfroSocialiteLifeDiva?
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