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photo by Mathew POkoik

My recent discovery of the existence of Mt. Tremper Arts (MTA) piqued my curiosity and a visit to their summer festival was added to my summer weekend to-do wish list.

Their program offering this weekend proved that MTA’s vision will provide solid, quality, innovative yet accessible work.

What a great addition to the area and a beautiful, generous space for artists and the community!

Monica Bill Barnes, whose company I’ve wanted to check out in the city, performed along with Anna Bass—starting the evening on a fun note with work set to music of the Rat Pack, with lyrics screened karaoke-style on the back wall.

I was excited to find this company marries the experimental with the lyrical, truly dancing in a way that appeals to my personal preferences. Standout moments included a falling sequence with astonishingly specific convulsions of Barnes’ arm.

Their costume of vintage coats reminded me of a moment with the two turtle ladies in the NYCB Christopher Wheeldon piece, Carnival of the Animals.

While the piece tended to drag a bit towards the end, there was a satisfying arc. It was fun, goofy, and sweet, but also melancholy—evoking love and reliance, but also a spinsterish solitude. The closing moment was a poetic snapshot of
interdependence.

The evening ended with two shorter works, which also featured well-chosen music from Nina Simone and James Brown respectively. The first, set to Simone’s Wild is the Wind, made me view Barnes as a woman trying hard to win approval. The closing piece, set to Get Up (Sex Machine), was filled with cartoonish machismo, presented with exuberance and energy.

Most remarkable about this company’s work is the use of facial expressions, especially to add a comic element. Dancers are so often associated with expressing movement through their body alone, and the face is often almost a blank slate. That is fine for much work but Barnes’ style truly benefits from this holistic element. The facial choreography is distinctive from what is going on down below, but is not distracting. Rather, it’s integral, and recalls a slapstick sensibility that showcases Barnes’ and Bass’ talent not just as trained dancers but also as actresses.

Josie Diels is a singer, songwriter, performer (for info, visit www.bouva.com) and a writer of personal narrative. She is also a special events and PR consultant, focused primarily in entertainment and arts. She started coming up to the Catskills area three years ago and divides her time as equally as possible now between NYC and Saugerties.