David Roussève. Photo by Jorge Vismara.
Saudade, the evening-length work David Roussève and his ensemble REALITY are currently touring and which opened here last night at the Dance Center of Columbia College, hits some high highs in its 100 minutes. The lows are mostly the result in one way or another of an ambition to do too much in one evening (showing even half of what I saw would have been impressive) but never fall so sourly as to compromise the effect of its best moments.
The execution of this work is commendable. Roussève and Assistant Director [and cast member (and creator of a short film I was in)] Marianne Kim have a strict eye for detail. Some of the tonal shifts and transitions are hugely ambitious and it’s to their credit, and the fine ensemble’s, that they’re almost all pulled off with confidence. It’s no secret I’m something of a finish fetishist, and I appreciated during each minute the care and deliberation that went into a thousand tiny decisions. One of the biggest dividends it pays is to the show’s length: Long, yes, and with no intermission, it moves forward so carefully and meditatively that there’s little opening to drop out as a viewer. Transfixing may be the word. Read More…
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