Parading across and around Festival Plaza on Saturday, Escaped Images,the dance troupe from Centenary College, short-circuited the Revel crowd. The group wore incomprehensible costumes and spent hideous energy posing and tramping.
By treating the entire site as their performance grounds, Escaped Images, under the direction of Renee Cheveallier, reminded the audience that top-hatted surprises are one of the treats of a good fest. In these days of the short budget, Revel 2010 seemed way less than surprising.
Also making a tribal and wildly vibey appearance at the Revel was Dirtfoot, a band whisked in Shreveport but risen to a souffle on the festival circuit.
This is a sextet of entertainers, not simply musicians. Matt Hazelton and J Bratlie were dancing on the beam while Scotty Gerardy was hanging from the beam. New bassist Nathan Woods wore out the pocket. Lane Bayliss punched and Daniel Breithaupt dodged. Everyone on stage seemed to oscillate through each number.
Total animation along with easy-to-like new songs.
Reminds us of the Marjorie Lyons Playhouse show a few months ago in which shirttails-out Dirtfoot was surrounded by the leggy Escaped Images. The show was a barroom brawl of artistic energy.
Will Dirtfoot be granted a few breaks so it can kick through to the next plateau? Will the trustees at Centenary College restore the status of the dance program?
Stand by for the usual: inch-by-inch, slow-breaking news.
Whether they rise or displode, Escaped Images and Dirtfoot have laddered a high bar for performance art in this region.
They're the real art deal. Study them, emulate their antics. Cheer them. Push them.
And you can toast Dirtfoot soon on a Facebook tv show called Grooveable Feast. Debuts Oct 20. Congrats, guys.
2 comments:
Entries like this are why I read this blog, Robert, and why I think you're one of Shreveport's greatest treasures. Keep it up, dude!!
Bachelor Girl - I totally agree! Also, love the idea of Grooveable Feast.
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