Opposites Attract.

American Idol, Uggs, handbags that costs one month's rent, these things appeal to us most, for they make up our everyday culture. Even though the premiere of Jonah Bokaer's False Start and The Invention of Minus One, had style and elements you don't expect to see on "America's Best Dance Crew," every moment of this performance was equally fresh. Besides the eye-catching contortions whacky animations, flimsy clothing racks, and Polaroid cameras were what made this showcase truly stand out.

On March 14th, 2008 at the Abrons Arts Center in The Lower East Side, Bokaer began the night by starring in the first of his two pieces, False Start. The animation in False Start featured an animated figure of Bokaer, himself. The figure contorted as it stood in a box with vibrant, Van Gogh-like printed walls. The pastel background nicely accentuated the loose and continuous gestures of the silhouetted body. Following this was Bokaer, imitating the animated version of him in front of a lit blank screen on a completely dark stage. Like the figure in the animation, the dancer was placed in a contrasting space. The background music to Mr. Bokaer's fluid, minimal choreography interestingly, sounded like the clashing of metal garbage cans and banging random objects together. The two pieces consisted of both tense movements that involved the use of many muscles, and rounded, smooth movement. The clothing racks, tripods, photographs, and cameras, as well as the coins hinted that the theme of opposites was also applicable to The Invention. While one may feel as if The Invention was based upon photography, one would also have to consider the "coin-tossing" component, too. From a posh photo-shoot setting to a quaint game of jacks, Bokaer leaves it up to the audience to extract the meanings.

The performance would have certainly been incomplete without its costumes by Isaac Mizrahi. Even further adding onto the concept of contrasts, was the selection of styles worn by the three dancers (The Invention), Rashaun Mitchell, Banu Ogan, and Holley Farmer. Farmer was the more boyishly dressed among the females (Ogan) but still not as masculine as Mitchell, wearing a cropped jacket, tank top, and elastic shorts. Ogan wore American Apparel-like silver tights and a sequined top. Counter to Ogan's ensemble was Mitchell's black tights and a simple charro jacket. The unconventionally combined features of The Invention and False Start most likely would not have worked otherwise, but it indeed made Jonah Bokaer's piece worth watching.