“Roots and Wings”, choreographed by Heather Robertson was a modern dance piece that began with about ten dancers on the floor of the stage in complete darkness. The performers were making slow, but staccato, synchronized movements across the stage. Although the movements were synchronized, dancers were moving in all possible directions of the stage. As the performance continued, my eyes adjusted to the darkness and I was able to focus on the details of the dance routine. I noticed that the movements were centered on the ground; hence, the dancer’s main actions involved crawling, leaping, and diving to the floor

Although “Roots and Wings” and “Baifall” were two seemingly different pieces, they both provoked thought within the audience. “Roots and Wings” did not have a clear concise message; therefore, the audience was encouraged to formulate their own conclusions. During the “Baifall” work, the conductor directly asked the audience to contemplate the position of the world and partake in prayer. This routine had a more succinct message that not only evoked thought, but positions on spirituality as well. The movements in my African dance class are more similar to the movements in “Baifall” because they do not require a lot of space and are based on a strong rhythmic pattern.

Both routines were entirely different in various ways; therefore it was surprising to realize similarities. Each performance evoked curiosity, which stimulated thought and imagination. I thoroughly enjoyed both routines because they were unique and demonstrated diverse aspects of culture and spirituality. I was impressed at the level of compassion that the dancers exuded while executing the routines. After viewing each piece, I felt artistically enlightened and privileged to have witnessed such talent.

Although I did not perceive a definite message throughout the piece I felt the purpose of this routine was to provoke the audience to think “outside the box”. This routine could possibly symbolize different things to different people. The underlying message that I received from this work was that human beings are easily manipulated in this world because they do not think for themselves; they allow others influence their ability to imagine greater possibilities. This message was displayed through the portrayal of humans as obj

Some topics in this essay:
Heather Robertson, Meung Meung, West Africa, , Dance Company, “roots wings”, similar movements, african dance, Drummers West, drummers west africa, dancers moving, drummers west, dance company, west africa, synchronized movements, african culture, floor stage,