 Nacre Dance's "Sip, Savor & Swirl" combined wine and cheese pairing in a dance competition on Saturday at Universal Preservation Hall. Above are Colleen McKenzie and Grady George in the winning work, choreographer Juliette Rafael's “The Sinner and the Saint.” (Photo by Amy Zounes of Best Frame Forward) A sip of wine can make one feel like dancing.
Nacre Dance Group tapped into that to inspire its latest choreographic contest, Sip, Savor & Swirl, which paired dancemakers with a wine. Each contestant was tasked to create a work inspired by their chosen fermented grape beverage. And in the process, create a vision of the fruits’ origins, flavors and more importantly, its sensation. Of the six works presented on Saturday night at Universal Preservation Hall, most tapped into the intoxicating personalities of the wines. But there was so much more to the show than the swallow. A sommelier, Krysta Dennis, described the wines before the piece took the stage. Then volunteers went from patron to patron, seated at tables, to serve a splash of each wine. As the choreography unfolded, the audience sipped the wine the dance expressed. And, as a bonus, cheeses of the wine’s home region were also served. And that’s not all. There were also three judges to describe what they saw – all in ebulliently cheerful terms. (This is not “So You Think You Can Dance.”) Yet ultimately, the audience was the arbiter of the dances by voting by ballot at the end -- selecting the winning dance – giving them a chance to dip their toe in the wine cask too. Obviously, Artistic Director Beth Fecteau was inspired by Bacchus. Only he could have conjured up more revelry. Choreographer Juliette Rafael took home the top prize for “The Sinner and the Saint.” Set to a live, fine quartet performing Charles Mingus’ “The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady” (Track A and C), the duet featured Colleen McKenzie and Grady George in what appeared to be a gentle taming and finally romantic pairing. It was inspired by the Italian Montepulciano red – that is bold, dry with a delicious finish. This was the only dance with live music, which always elevates the artistry. And the dancing was grand but contradicted the intention that McKenzie, though dressed in red, was anything short of angelic, and George was the knight she deserved. Based on the title, I’m not sure that is what Rafael’s meant to express. I preferred the solo “First dip,” by choreographer and performed by Sydney Lemelin. Inspired by Spanish Rioja, the work touched on the beauty and fierceness of the wine and human spirit. Set to “Moon on the Bath” by Japanese Breakfast and “Cucurrucucu Paloma Hable Con Ella” by Caetano Veloso, the piece was mysterious and at times a little odd with a second performer, unidentified, tossed what looked like blueberries at her, which she caught and tossed in her mouth. Lemelin intrigued with her mix of subtle and strong kept audiences engaged. My companion at the competition preferred the first piece, “Cin Cin” by Taylor Gordon that was meant to capture the bubbly personality of Italian Prosecco. This work was set in a 1920s speakeasy where a trio sparkled as the drinks and dancing flowed. What didn’t flow well, was the loquacious sommelier’s critiques of the dances. Her verbosity stole time from the knowledgeable judges, Mary Harney, Suzanne Rayome and Benita Zahn, who had little chance to express their thoughts. Despite the fact “Sip, Swirl & Savor” is an excellent idea to bring new audiences to dance. I would only suggest limiting the speaking and ultimately recognize that dance and wine speak for themselves.
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