The Bang Group -Doin' What Comes Natur'lly

at Joe's Pub/NYC

Opened by two silent cowboy “pahtnahs” wearing red pajama onesies, doin’ some front porch sittin’, evil-plotting on the neighbors, and understated dance partying – The Bang Group’s SHOWDOWN is already a hit.  I am literally crying with laughter and have found that not for the life of me can I describe how funny these two are.  Listed in the program as “Silent Hosts”,  Deborah Lohse, the uber-tall self-proclaimed “ugly duckling”, and Monica Bill Barnes, the half-her-height little fireball, light up the stage with their intentional lack of personality and Johnny Cash soundtrack.  (Pic is of a different performance but gives you an idea!)  When Monica raises her two mini-guns and spins them at hyper-speed over her head for nearly two straight minutes with the straightest of faces, it is over for me.  I could not breathe. The whole show is worth it just because of these two - hilarious bookends to the actual meat of the show!

Getting to that meat…  The evening is June 4, 2009 and Joe’s Pub is hosting Dancemopolitan through DanceNOW NYC.  DanceNOW “strives to renew and reclaim dance as an integral part of our lives.

DanceNOW experiments with "traditional, emerging, and alternative means to bring dance and community together by partnering with other arts organizations, sharing resources, and creating distinctive events to offer audiences a more tangible experience with contemporary dance.”   Founding directors and producers, Tamara Greenfield, Robin Staff, and Sydney Skybetter, keep shows brief using a “less is more” approach to keep audiences wanting more from their featured NYC choreographers.

This Thursday evening, DanceNOW features THE BANG GROUP with fresh and enticing choreography by David Parker.  Through a special arrangement with The Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization, the group twirls, taps, and partners their way through the entire score of “Annie Get Your Gun.”   Dressed in denim jeans and button down flannels, the cast of eight is a picture of the Wild West.

Parker’s “Annie…” is not your typical musical theatre bit – but instead very modern, ballet-based and full of contemporary partnering.  He sprinkles it with humor which brings so much humanity and humility to the performance.  I am on the edge of my seat trying to decide how some of those lifts are possible- and on such a small stage. The most unique part is the blending of gender lines as we saw tons of AMAZING, never before seen man-to-man partnering.  The occasional guy/girl lifts are also beautiful, but it is the overwhelmingly genuine, flowing movement between the men that really speak of Parker’s intention for the overall piece.

That intention is directly supported by Parker’s “bonus track” – a witty vocal duet of “Old Fashioned Wedding”, which he sings with company dancer Jeff Kazin.  The two have lovable chemistry and definitely go all out with a big ol’ musical theatre tap break!  The audience is all smiles and loving this genuine portrayal of love crossing all boundaries.   I’d definitely follow the Bang Group onto their next endeavors...  Doin’ what comes natur’lly.

Dancers as described by Parker:  The perspicacious Bryan Campbell, the triple-stilled Terry Duncan, the sagacious Nic Petry, the go-for-broke Amber Sloan, the bewitching Marissa Palley, the blooming Megan Flynn, and the nefarious Jeffrey Kazin.

iDANZ Critix Corner
Official Dance Review by: Sheena DiMatteo
Performance:  DanceNOW [NYC] presents ShowDown
Venue:  Joe’s Pub at The Public Theater
Choreographer: David Parker and The Bang Group
Date:  June 4, 2009
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