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Sitting in anticipation, the buzzed audience members moved toward the edges of their seats as the musicians took their place, flanking the stage, and the first notes began to resonate. Violinst Shane Borth explored the humble stage, softly stroking his electric violin. Singer Laura Scarborough, dressed in a long, white, tapered gown with a dramatic spiked skull cap, black combat boots and a colorful, bejeweled face, made a grand entrance through the burgundy curtain. Lisa Choules and Erica Sword's costumes were ingenious. They combined futuristic elements with vintage inspirations, creating a retro, water ballet style. The costumes ranged from white bikins and belts with silvery wigs that looked like swimming caps to sleek unitards decorated with either a palette of blue shades or fishnet mesh.

Dance regular Laura Jones anchored the performance with several glorious moments. In the beginning, she appeared inside a blowing sheet, moving like a child inside the womb and then finally emerging. Shortly after, a sheer curtain was pulled across the stage in preparation for "Live Free (Illumination)." As Jones danced behind the curtain, her movement magically manipulated light projections appearing on the curtain. The light, which came alive with Jones' gestures, almost acted as her dance partner. The way the movement, projections, lighting and music fused together so cohesively was astonishing and almost indescribable.

Jones emerged again, fashioning a hooded train that suspended from the ceiling. Angelina and Mollie Sansone alternated between dancing behind the train, where their silhouettes were lit up, and in front of the train. The three moved together well but Jones stood out with her commanding and instinctual presence. The connection was lost, however, when Scarborough swooped in front of the dancers spouting off indecipherable lyrics.

Megan Stockman and Brittany Duskin teamed up in "Undercurrent." They were a powerful, energetic pair, matching each other's hard-hitting movement quality in an electrifying way. The majority of the show's choreography was engaging and effervescent - rooted in ballet with a contemporary edge. However, that of Kimberly Cowen and Chris Stuart's pas de deux, "Devotion" was more stagnant and contrived. The languid movement exposed every small struggle and no one wants to see the effort behind the beauty. Luckily, the lull was brief and both dancers recovered strongly. 

Spread equally throughout the presentation were three impressive and unique aerial acts that added an extra dimension to the experience. Megan Stockman took the air first in "Passerby." High above the crowd in a spinning cube, Stockman expertly exhibited her flexibility, strength and confidence. She seamlessly manipulated her body from one contorted, majestic position to the next. Moving at a dizzying pace, she slowed down once to revel in the moment as she hung upside-down with only her flexed feet holding her in place.

 Francoise Voranger's approach was captivating and daring, full of gorgeous, long lines. She varied between slowly wrapping herself up and around two black straps and then quickly releasing her grip and plunging to the floor. The real climax, though, occurred as she flew out over the audience twice and then disappeared, sucked back behind the curtain. Jillian St. Germain, who accidentally was not credited in the show order, was noticeably the weakest of the three and the scariest to watch. While she did execute some impressive poses, St. Germain spent more time preparing for her tricks than she did performing them.

When the audience's attention was not dominated by aerialists or dancers, it was able to focus solely on the musicians, who really were responsible for creating this hypnotic state of mind. Artistic director Anthony Magliano jammed on the '80s-era electric harpsichord, while John Wirt created more somber melodies on the flugelhorn. Cellist Jon Carbin stood out in several songs, notably "Metamorphosis I." At times, the band sounded like a modern orchestra, incorporating modern, digitized pulses into its classical foundation.

In "Metamorphosis I" and "Metamorphosis II (Hopelight)," Angelina Sansone, Cowen and Jones progressively interacted with the scaffolding on the upper stage. First, they felt their way around and between the free-standing frames and eventually ascended up them, climbing gracefully. Together, with the epic score, they produced a surreal moving portrait.  

Paix Reveuse stayed true to its French translation, offering the audience the experience of a peaceful dream. It stimulated senses in a new way and provoked a series of emotions - excitment, joy, anger, ecstasy, sadness, adrenaline and awe. Not until the ensemble broke character to bow, did anyone realize that for the past hour and a half they had been in a trance.

Every single element blended together to produce an intimate, otherworldly experience. Although the show's run has ended, it is deserving of a resurrection. If not a reproduction, it's likely that the artists will continue to encoporate the components into their other shows and by next summer, they'll have discovered even more new and exciting things. 

REVIEW:
Quixotic Fusion
Paix Reveuse
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Friday, June 18, 2010
Saturday, 19, 2010 (Reviewed)
Madrid Theater
3810 Main Street, Kansas City, MO
For general information visit www.quixoticfusion.com

Cover photo by Mike Strong.

By Laura Vernaci

Dance Contributor

Laura Vernaci is a Kansas City native who has always been passionate about the arts, particularly dance. She began dance lessons at the young age of five and hasn't stopped since. She trained at the Kansas City Ballet where she became a serious dancer and learned about a professional company. 

She attended Butler University in Indianapolis, IN where she majored in dance. She transferred to Truman State University in Kirksville, MO in 2006 and received a degree in Journalism in May 2008.  Laura spent the 2008-2009 in Duluth, MN dancing professionally for the Minnesota Ballet. She performed in productions such as, "The Nutcracker," "Cinderella" and "Coppelia" as well as world premier ballets created on the company.

She recently moved back to Kansas City and is excited to combine her experience in writing with her passion for dance. In addition to performing and writing, Laura also enjoys teaching dance and choreographing.