BWW Reviews: Rosie Herrera Dance Theatre Takes NYC by Storm with VARIOUS STAGES OF DROWNING: A CABARET at the Joyce

These brief clips of performance made "Various Stages of Drowning: A Cabaret," well, a cabaret. The work was concise, yet, again in the fashion of Pina Bausch, increasingly bizarre and dark. There was a feeling that something was going on behind the scenes; it may have been a secret, but all of the performers seemed to keep gradually spilling the beans.

The final moments of this performance resonated with an atmosphere that seemed quite literal, yet beautiful, tender and, beneath it all, metaphorical. As the drag queen rested with the back of her head on the bathtub's ledge, a maternal and unassuming cast member began to wash the heavy makeup away from her face, slowly revealing the person beneath it all. It appeared an arduous task, but the maternal figure persisted until her face was clean, the entire cast of misfits looking on as she worked.

It is my hope that Ms Herrera and her vivacious cast felt welcomed by the city. Their presence was a breath of tropical air amongst the sometimes-suppressive black and gray seriousness of New York City's modern dance. While there were a few technical difficulties, they did not hurt the performance in any way.

I look forward to seeing Rosie Herrera Dance Theatre again. A company that is so innovative, searing and disturbing bears repeated viewings.

Kayt MacMaster is a NYC based dancer, choreographer, dance writer, and co-founder and artistic director of a newly conceived performance company, blueprint dance project. MacMaster earned a BFA in Dance and a Minor in Writing and Rhetoric from Oakland University in her home state of Michigan. As an educator and movement researcher, she has spent time in Ghana, West Africa and presented research at the 2012 National Dance Education Organization conference in Los Angeles. Kayt MacMaster is a registered yoga instructor, folk music disciple, and film enthusiast. She is currently working with Jeremy Xido on his documentary film, Death Metal Angola.