The effervescent performers of MV Dance Theatre take a bow following their "Back in the Day Cabaret."
Corinne de Langavant soloed in her own dance as "Weeping Lady Liberty."
Guys will be guys in "The Man Dance."
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Dance: Verve and vitality in dance
September 1, 2005
By James W. B. Burrows
Photos by Ralph Stewart
Traditionally, Illumination night, the fireworks, and the Fair are recognized as the last major events of Vineyard summer, markers shared by both those delighted and those horrified to see another summer’s end. But over the last nine years, another late-summer event has grown steadily in popularity. Mention of it may soon be heard in the same breath as those long established milestones – Built On Stilts (B.O.S.).
Over the course of five nights, August 20 through 24, Built On Stilts presented a collection of dance performances in Oak Bluffs’s Union Chapel. Nightly crowds of around 500 filled the stage-level chairs, packed the balconies, and overflowed the four main entrances to the admission-free shows. Like the collection of dancers, the spectators came from a host of places. Some had attended B.O.S. shows since their inception; others were lured in by the beat of drums, or exotically costumed performers in the midst of final rehearsal on the chapel lawn.
Beginning at 8 pm each night, and separated by less than a minute of efficiently stage-managed darkness, 14 seven-minute acts took the stage. Among these were a wide variety of dance styles including modern, hip-hop, jazz, salsa, African, belly dance, tap, ballet, dance theater and improvisation.
“Something for everyone,” said Abby Bender, co-founder of B.O.S.. And since its creation, that is exactly what B.O.S. has been — not just for the audiences, but also for the performers.
“Our mission,” said Ms. Bender, “is to provide an accessible venue for any performing artist, regardless of their age, experience, style, or where they are from.” The mission’s definition has adapted over the years to coincide with the growth of the festival, but the essence has not changed.
Growth and variety
In 1997, Ms. Bender and B.O.S. co-founder Autumn Anna Luckey, both two years out of Bard College, missed the community of dancers with whom they had studied, and yearned to show their work. They sought out fellow talented dancers also in need of a forum, and with seven choreographers, on one “magical” night, the first B.O.S. show took place.
Since then, Built on Stilts has grown significantly and steadily. This year’s festival ran for five nights, with more than 30 original works, and dancers from a wide variety of locations. This year was also the first in which each night’s program was unique. With every soloist or group performing on two nights, but in a changing order, each evening’s experience was different for both dancers and spectators.
In addition to these changes, 10 to 12 new groups of participants have joined every year. When asked what she would do if the festival continues to expand at this rate, Ms. Bender replied: “Things keep growing until they can’t grow anymore. That point hasn’t happened yet, so we’re going to keep going with it and see. Then, if a point comes where, as director, I can’t handle it, someone else can step in. It’s not about me being the director, but about what the festival has come to represent and the opportunity it gives people.”
More choreographer and dancer than director, Ms. Bender performed in at least two of the pieces this year. “The Three Little Pigs,” choreographed by Nora Laudani combined music, dance, and storytelling, illuminating B.O.S.’s diversity. This variety could also be seen in the festival’s range of offerings, from “The Man Dance,” a comedic and theatrical movement involving five older men in quest of male expression, to Kelly Peters’s “Cats & Dogs,” exploring the question of gender roles through Island children and teens performing to hip-hop. Lashanna Williams’s “Twin Touch African Dance Troupe” featured adults and children dancing in traditional African style, while in Christina Montoya’s “Gracia,” three women salsaed both as soloists and in ensemble.
While there was a great variety of dance styles, the difference in levels of performance was less pronounced, although some disparity is to be expected when professionals and amateurs share a stage. Rather than detracting from the festival, Ms. Bender believes the varying experience and expertise of the dancers adds to its quality: “Audiences realize this, and instead of it disrupting the fluidity of the show, it serves to bring it more to life,” she said.
More important still, for Built on Stilts, as Abby Bender puts it: “Dance is within everybody, so whether you want to be in the crowd or in front of it, everyone can appreciate these performances.”
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