With the popularity of shows like Spiderman – Turn off the Dark and performance groups like Cirque du Soleil, let’s face it. America is climbing the walls… literally. The popularity of Aerial work is growing...fast. Capitalizing on this momentum, the Manhattan Movement & Arts Center presented the first (of what they hope is many) Aerial Showcases yesterday. Featuring artists of different age and career levels, MMAC showcased the local "Who’s Who" of the Aerial arts.
If it could fly in the air, it did. For someone who doesn’t know much about Aerial work, I found the showcase surprisingly enjoyable. I especially enjoyed the work of some of the younger performers, such as Marui Lavinder and Megan Grosmark. They had a wonderful grasp of the music and really found a nice balance between stunt work and artistic interpretation. They are artists to watch for in the future.
I also really enjoyed the work of Ryan Magalong, whose piece For Trevor was dedicated to LGBTQ youth affected by bullying and discrimination. Again, Magalong found a beautiful equilibrium between his stunts and artistic interpretation. Sadly, being staged in proscenium, I lost several moments as he climbed higher on the silks.
The brightest point of the night was definitely in the hands of Michael Karas. An accomplished juggler (What? He had stuff flying through the air. That counts!) , Karas was simply amazing. Rings, Balls, Clubs. You name it. He juggled it. Innovative and really funny, he never at one point lost my interest. Karas is (not surprisingly) joining the cast of The Flying Karamazov Brothers, so I expect to hear great things about him from the theatre community soon.
The bump in the road was definitely the tech portion of the show. This was easily one of the sloppiest shows I’ve ever seen in New York. (Sorry, guys. I expect far more from you.) I understand that this was mostly a volunteer effort. Nonetheless, the show just came off as disorganized, becoming a great disservice to the performers. They deserved a warmer reception from their audience. However, tech issues prevented the show from gaining any momentum. It was hard to get into the show, when elementary technical glitches kept jarring you out of it.
I don’t want to disparage the showcase too much. This was their first crack at a professional showcase. Although it was messy, the performers were quite good. They showed me that the Aerial arts are worthy of further exploration. If the Aerial arts happen to strike your interest, check out the MMAC website (www.manhattanmovement.com). Classes are enrolling now.
