Invaders of the Heart: Revelation is performed on Saturday, March 19, 2011 at 7pm at the James A Little Theatre, located on Cerrillos Raod Santa fe at the New Mexico School for the Deaf
Just when you think you know your own town well, an exciting surprise comes your way! Last night, it was the gift that Pomegranate Studios brought to the stage of the James A. Little Theatre in their production Invaders of the Heart 2011: Revelation. Pure enjoyment!
Mesmerizing Movement by Myra Krien
I had known of Pomegranate’s existence and had heard the pulsing beats emanating from the studio at various times, but had not yet made the effort to discover more. It’s a sad reality that local dance companies often languish in obscurity, but don’t be fooled, they are out there working hard, and this performance proved what dedication, talent and energy can do, even when long-time residents like me don’t even know what they are up to. 24 dancers, 90 costumes, and 10 enormous ostrich feather fans, as well as veil fans, 3 parasols, a bird, and a lion all showed up onstage over the course of almost two hours of high-energy and mesmerizing dance. The range of Middle Eastern styles encompassed a Tribal section, an Oriental/Egyptian section, a Bellydance-Tango Fusion section, an Asian Fusion section, a Turkish/Armenian section, and even a terrifically entertaining solo by insirational founder, Myra Krien. An appearance by guest stars, Unmata, one of the hottest tribal style belly-dance acts, showed off their highly athletic chops, as they gave a precious a slot of their world tour to hit the stage with this local company.
Shake it, Sister!
The broad range of musical selections was by turns hypnotic and wildly energetic, and the audience responded in kind. It is amazing to think that all, and I mean all, of the costumes were created by the company, and it’s no surprise that a retail line of clothing, Persephone, has resulted from the necessity of an in-house costume shop. And the fact that the choreography is also in-house makes one wonder when Myra Krien has time to sleep! Especially when you add in the existence of the SEEDs program for girls, an inspirational entity in itself! Pomegranate SEEDs, which stand for Self-esteem, Empowerment and Education through Dance, is an after-school program, established by Founder/Director Krien in 2001 to present to youth the finest instruction in Middle Eastern Arts along with programming that promotes self-discovery and self-actualization, provides mentorship at a very high level and prepares young women for Independence. Judging from the number of lovely young women onstage as well as in the audience, it seems like its mission, to mentor young women through dance in order to create healthy and strong individuals who are socially and fiscally responsible to themselves and their community, is being accomplished.
Dedication = Dramatic Dance
Can you tell I was really impressed? Days are longer now, and nights are warmer, so it’s easy to head for the James A. Little Theatre tonight, Saturday, March 19 at 7pm for one more chance to see this electric stage presentation. You won’t regret it…and you’ll know that your financial support will help keep this vital program alive in the City Different!
Photos courtesy of Pomegranate Studios, all rights reserved
