my first attempt on writing a review

So I m working in the Marketing section of the arts center and I wrote this amateur review for the Merce cunningham show:

This was my first Merce Cunningham show, and wow it blew me away. With Cunningham’s renowned impact on avant-garde, I was almost expecting walking out with question marks. To me, the term avant-garde has always sound intimidating, sophisticated yet abstract, and it would sure be difficult for me to ‘get it’. But to my surprise, I walked out nodding and smiling by how much I can relate to the dancers who portrayed Cunningham’s vision.

Cunningham has broken down the modern contemporary steps into an easier and relatable language of life. An act where every dancer inserted a bouncy ring inside their leotards reminds me of my interaction with the ‘outside’ world -- the uncomfortable first impressions and insecurities that I have to carry inside us despite that flawless confident smile. The bouncy ring in every dancer seems to represent that insecure feeling: awkward and uncomfortable yet we have to pretend that it is never there.
The dancers from the Merce Cunningham Dance Company looked like they have taken part-time acting classes. In “Squaregame”, big fluffy tutu-looking dresses weighed heavily on the female dancers as they circled around a male dancer in the middle, who was sorting out his four-sleeves-sweater. I was amazed how a dance performance can become a witty comical show. Not only were the dancers’ demanding dance moves in sync with the playful music, together with the dancers’ expression they delivered perfect comic timing.

The “Antic Meet”, music by John Cage was my favorite piece. When two female dancers tip toed their perfect lines onto the stage, their elegance was turned completely upside down with the ‘cat fights’ they were having with each other. Each of them either purposefully blocks the other’s way or makes funny face behind the other’s back. The audience and I broke into laughter. The unexpected scene made the extreme talented and skillful artists human, because they have related their act to our everyday life and challenges. No matter what we do, there will always be somebody looking at us, thinking that we are complete idiots; therefore no act would be perfect without some healthy backstage drama! Isn’t that why people watch reality shows these days? The act continued with two men marched in circles and greeted each other with their poker face and straight defensive posture. This time, gender seems to determine how the dancers interact with each other. The culture of machismo was shown here when the two men refuse to show their emotion, possibly weaknesses to each other. The dancers have skillfully interpreted the different human behaviors and left space for some thoughtful reflection.

Though all three pieces in the show were first performed more than thirty years ago, Cunningham’s works transcend time and spaces. The extravagance of Andy Warhol’s décor combined with sharp retro color (the bright purple leotard, anyone?) still works like magic visually. Even with my little expertise in the modern contemporary dance, I could tell that Cunningham’s works will continue to impact and influence today’s younger dancers and audience.