Review: A Prayer to End Human Trafficking | Votum Dance Company | Courtyard Theatre - Plano

A Wing and a Prayer

Christian dance company Votum Dance Company dances to end human trafficking.

by Margaret Putnam
published Saturday, November 26, 2011

5 comments

Plano — Only hours before delivering her Firstborn, Mary rises from the manger timid and apprehensive, but then, as all good ballet dancers do, executes a few fouettés. Yes, fouettés, that favorite tour de force of ballet galas.

So, you think, this is some camp show.

No, Dallas-based Votum Dance Company is dead serious on the subject of God. The company "views our dancers as on image of the dancers who stand before the throne of God night and day, dancing for him as a form of prayer, worship and intercession."

It certainly didn't flinch at big issues. The program opened Friday night at the Plano Courtyard Theater with A Prayer to End Human Trafficking, a messy and inflated affair, but compelling in spots, too. As choreographed by artistic director Cindy Kumer, the dance has a fascinating premise: "the ballet is composed entirely of live musical recordings from the spontaneous worship and prayer sessions of the International House of Prayer in Kansas City, Missouri, a place where singers and musicians cry out to the Lord through nonstop fiery worship and intercession 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year."

The music and spoken works of the International House of Prayer carried much of the load, with most of the dancing serene. It opened with "Release the Fear of the Lord," as Ms. Kumer, Nicole Funderburg and Holly Seeley form neat geometric patterns and angles as a ministerial voice intones "Hong Kong, we ask you to desist in the name of Jesus."

But whatever calmness continued through the next section, it disappears in the unsettling duet, "Freedom." Here, Marci Waddle expresses the agony of bondage. Wearing a skimpy red dress, her hair disheveled, she lies crumpled on the floor, her hands frantically twitching. When she looks up, her face displays fear and despair.

She has reason for fear, for a man with a spear and chains stomps in, pulls out an imaginary key to enter the desperate woman's prison, and yanks her around by the hair. No subtlety here.

After a brutal round of kicks, punches and yanks, he eventually leaves, locking her again in her cell. It's rather jarring compared to the rest of the work.

Some peace returns in the last section "Dancing Over You." The three women seen earlier return to dance calmly over the prostitute's slumped-over figure. By now, however, the same voice that had earlier proclaimed "Lord, open up your arms and set thousands of women free" takes on the impassioned tone of a mega-church preacher, whipping up a frenzy for an invisible congregation.

According to the program notes, the dance in "The Fiery Seal of Love" is "live on-stage improvisation." Maybe a little more structure would have been welcome. Swirling long ribbons in graceful arcs and eddies, Ms. Kumer and Ms. Seeley would seem to represent the Holy Spirit, while Ms. Funderburg and Ms. Waddle represent sinners awaking. The dance is pretty but at odds with intermittent thunder and the preacher's harsh, grating voice.

About the excerpts for "The Nativity Ballet," the less said the better. A Homeless Man weaves his way through the story while shepherds do nothing but brandish staffs and angels flit about on pointe. The Angel Gabriel leaps and turns and poses in arabesque, looking much more like a fairy from The Sleeping Beauty than an angel. And then there are those ridiculous fouettés. Oy vey!

◊ Margaret Putnam has been writing about dance since 1980, with works published by D Magazine, The Dallas Observer, The Dallas Times Herald, The Dallas Morning News, The New York Times, Playbill, Stagebill, Pointe Magazine and Dance Magazine. Thanks For Reading

Comments:

Marie writes:
Sunday, November 27 at 4:42PM

In the Votum Dance Company's full length production of the Nativity Ballet, there are full dance pieces featuring the shepherds, wisemen, and breathtaking pas de deuxs in the creation scene with Adam and Eve, and also in a few other places. The full length version of The Nativity Ballet received sold out performances and standing ovations every night at the World Premiere in Little Rock, Arkansas. This company operates on faith and there is a remarkable story on the company's website that tells the story of how the Nativity Ballet first came together. The company chose to show excerpts from the full length production of Nativity for marketing purposes in order to give the DFW audience a taste of the Votum Repertoire in hopes to encourage funding and support for the 2012 season including a full presentation of the entire Nativity Ballet work planned for next December. — Marie, Director of Public Relations, Votum Dance Company

Nicky writes:
Sunday, November 27 at 5:30PM

If Mary could immaculately conceive, why couldn't she immaculately fouetté before childbirth? Geez. Doesn't seem so outside the realm of possibility.

Gabriella writes:
Sunday, November 27 at 7:30PM

Beautiful show! I enjoyed it so much. The Fiery Seal of Love was my favorite piece!

Lee writes:
Sunday, November 27 at 8:14PM

The "Fiery Seal of Love" was a live improvisational piece with structure. The audience might not have understood the structure but the dancers knew exactly when to go/how long to be on stage, but as far as choreography that was the major improviastional aspect. The piece represented the throne of God making the thunder fit quite well. The throne of God is described greatly in the Bible, thunder being included. The four girls representing two parts in that piece was not done purposefully but did seem to fit the piece quite well. The Holy Spirit is all around us which could be seen with the ribbon dancers more. When it comes to the Nativity it was not the entire ballet being performed, only excerpts so as far as fluidity it made sense as much as it could. Fouettes are a typical ballet move seen in most, if not all, ballets so for Mary to perform these steps is nothing out of the ordinary. In fact this is the time where the Angel Garbriel comes to share the news she will be pregnant soon, so it should be seen as a rejoycing step more than anything. The Angels were represented quite well considering the attached wigns, angelic moves, and poses but as far as fairy-like I am not sure how that could be, I guess it would all just depend on the viewer's take of the Angels.

J D LP-C writes:
Monday, January 2 at 2:29PM

Requiring an essentially religious experience to meet secular standards based on aesthetic theory is always problematic. Most critics run in the opposite direction. Thus, where does the writer separate the essential critic's function. Should the writer compare a sermon with a lecture or a hymn with an aria? It's like discussing the Bible or Koran as literature. It is frought with danger. Either the critic must suspend certain standards or must step into the experience as a transcendent euphoria. While I did not see this performance, I wonder at the appropriateness of inviting a critic to describe or evaluate such a performance. Did the producers really expect a seasoned critic not to use her skills and experience to search for a meaning that shaped by contemporary dance aesthetics or was it hoped that she would glow over an implied religious motive? I hope that the concert succeeded in bringing the audience the intended uplifting experience and the funding you hoped to garner. Sacred dance is an important mission-driven opportunity to participate in the liturgy, much as is singing in a choir or playing for a Sunday service.