Trash Babe Productions made its debut with the premiere of ‘XO-interstitium’ from July 18-27 at Performance Works Northwest, showcasing a remarkable collaboration between JmeJames Antonick and Patsy Morris, with a score by Geovanny Vega.
This inaugural full-length performance comes as the culmination of a three-year partnership, marking a significant milestone for the newly formed dance company.
As attendees settled into their seats, a DJ booth awash in warm orange light flickered in the dimmed venue.
Suddenly, a shadowy figure emerged behind sheer fabric draped across the stage.
The atmosphere grew electric as a live DJ’s beats filled the room, while the figure manipulated a glowing orb, creating an enchanting interplay of shadow and light that suggested a mystical forest setting.
As the scene unfolded, the original figure morphed into two, their movements depicting a sense of exploration within the fabric.
The soundscape of delicate electronica intertwined beautifully with the performers’ motions, capturing the audience’s attention as they stretched, crawled, and embraced the fabric swaying to the rhythm.
When the music began to shift, the performers transitioned into a stationary group kneeling position.
With their hands extended toward each other, the atmosphere thickened just before the music erupted into a vigorous beat and the lights flashed in a brilliant blue, emphasizing an explosion of movement.
The dancers, now donning hoods, invoked a sense of tranquil meditation even amidst their dynamic choreography.
As they split apart, the distancing marked a pivotal moment within the performance, soon followed by an engaging duet where breathing, brushing, and rocking defined their communication.
Intensity built as the music’s tempo quickened, and the fabric began to be retracted as part of the choreography’s evolution.
In a surprising turn, the dancers shed their pants, unveiling fitted shorts and kneepads.
They approached a small, glowing red bench, carefully placing their discarded garments atop it.
As the musical tempo shifted to an upbeat pseudo-pop, the energy onstage transformed in kind, fast-paced and electric.
The performers’ movements became a playful reflection of the live music, demonstrating versatility as they kicked, hopped, and engaged in invigorating transitions while returning to their earlier motifs of touch and connection.
A poignant moment arose when one dancer embraced the other in a tender cradle, an image that radiated strength under an ambient orange glow.
Throughout the hour-long performance, the dancers exhibited an intriguing contrast of softness and physical strength, highlighted by striking visual compositions, such as one dancer suspended in a freeze-frame atop another, each leg held aloft in a beautifully maintained balance.
As the piece progressed, the dancers rolled backward, occasionally pausing to wipe their foreheads and touch their sides in contemplative silence, embodying a meditative quality.
With jazz music punctuating the atmosphere, they adorned themselves with black platform clogs and hoisted paper signs.
A soundscape of cheers erupted, propelling the audience into a spirited declamation, with one sign declaring ‘ROUND’ in Gothic lettering while another depicted an infinity symbol.
This evoked images of ring girls prior to a boxing match, seamlessly infusing an element of vintage Americana into a piece that felt deeply contemporary.
As the scene transitioned, the dancers removed their shoes and re-donned their pants, which coincided with a shift in soundtrack that introduced a chorus of boos.
The combination of three bells dinging signaled a theatrical interpretation of combat as the dancers engaged in a playful mock-fight, presented in slow motion, culminating in a humorous ‘death scene’ accompanied by dramatic red lighting.
Emerging from this moment, a sunrise lit up the back wall, eliciting a haunting musical score.
The dancers retreated with arms extended wide, experiencing a transformation as the sunrise morphed into a video projection of intertwined hands.
In a final climactic segment, the artists cocooned themselves in white cloth and wriggled beneath it, each sharing a solo before uniting in a concluding duet framed by the projected imagery.
As the performance neared its end, the two dancers congregated near the DJ booth, leading the video and music into a frenetic blackout.
In the closing moments, the team unveiled a disco ball, illuminating the space with dynamic reflections while maintaining eye contact with the audience.
The blend of flickering lights dulled as the dancers retreated calmly into the background, leaving a resonant impression as they stepped into the ambiguity of the night.
image source from：orartswatch
