Momix’s mobile art provides twists and turns for all ages

Friday, October 03, 2008

By Robyn Vincent

Jackson Hole, Wyo.-Their bodies morph from tangled shadowy figures to amoeba-like creatures. Enlisted in delicate acts of contortionism reminiscent of old time Vaudeville – entwined with new school performance art – Momix dancers wriggle and writhe, bending into shapes not intended for the human body to form. But illusion is the name of the game with this 14-person, internationally renowned dance troupe. And often what meets the eye is a trajectory of shadows and beams that give way to illusionary movements and sequences.

To begin the show, a 25-foot hydraulic puppet towers onto the stage followed by the eerie and amusing 8-foot creation, “The Last Vaudevillian.” The immense structures quickly dismantle, revealing three warriors battling in a sequence of acrobatics and capoeira movements. Attempting to align large poles, the dancers summon stylish body gestures in a ceremonial fighting series.

Momix has many identities, however, and while audiences are still engaged in an animated battle sequence, pestilence infiltrates the stage, as a gang of dark shadowy figures transform into a six-legged spider.

While beams of light wash over the silhouettes fading their forms, tribal rhythms thump and performers spin a woman perched inside a brass basin that is attached to poles. As the basin twirls, dancers leap between the poles’ whirlpool of motion, creating a fast display of succinct movements. 

The troupe’s revolving door of cat-like acrobatics and dreamy silhouettes have required countless hours of rehearsal and practice. These workings are a few of the figures and forms – some that Momix has had more than 25 years to perfect – showcased in their 25th anniversary ‘best of’ performance. The show samples a slice of Momix’s repertoire with 13 acts.

Momix founder and director Moses Pendleton was born and raised on a dairy farm in Northern Vermont, a good explanation for his naming the group after cattle feed. Pendleton abandoned cow-tipping antics in the 70s, attending Dartmouth College where he formed Pilobolus Dance Theater with some of his peers. They immediately began touring and, like Momix, amassed a following from odd acrobatic movements coupled with elements of wit, beauty and ambiguity.
Unlike the performance art of Cirque de Soleil with storylines that are sometimes inappropriate for children, Momix focuses on the art of movement and illusion – instead of narrative – suitable for all ages. And it was Momix’s family-friendly content that instigated the group’s arrival to Jackson, Sunday, at the Center for the Arts.

“I had known of Momix for years,” Dancer’s Workshop artistic director Babs Case said. “But a family that attended a Momix performance in Texas [whose children attend classes at DW] brought back memorabilia from the performance and said children of all ages were just mesmerized by the show. We had been thinking about bringing Pilobolus or Momix, and the troupe just happened to be coming our way.”
Momix takes the stage for an all ages performance at 7 p.m., Sunday, at the Center for the Arts. Call the box office at 733-4900 for tickets.

COURTESY PHOTO
Dance troupe Momix awes with human props .


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Momix’s mobile art provides twists and turns for all ages | Planet JH News Article: General News

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