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Much Potential! The Crossroads Dance Project, created by co-artistic directors Cynthia Kelly and Kathryn (Morris) Eurich, featured the De Colores Folk Dance Group for an April 23 and 24 program that brought Hispanic dance culture to the stage of Northern Virginia community College's Ernst Cultural Center. The dances, including folk and flamenco combined with ballroom, ballet and modern dance, formed a unique program of symbolic Latin traditionalism. The first dance, "La Bruja," featured graceful, swaying dance movements, exquisite white lace costumes, and colorful shawls with matching headpieces. Each headpiece held a lit candle on the dancers' heads. The flames radiated down upon each beautiful dancer, causing them to glow with the innocent purity of their love. From Mexico, the dance portrays hardworking fishermen whose women bring light to them for protection from "La Bruja," the witch, as they work long into the dark night. Several of the dance pieces incorporated the strong cultural themes of family, religion, and the protection of loved ones. Nancy Sedgwick, director of the Spanish Dance Society, gracefully performed a classic, romantic "Escuela Bolera" dance from 18th-century Spain in a colorful, traditional, costume, while skillfully playing the castanets. Later, she twirled her ruffled skirt at an enthusiastic audience during a flamenco dance known as the "Escobilla" or "little brush," named for sliding footwork without stamping. Ramon Gonzales played an inspiring flamenco guitar solo and then joined his fellow musicians - Pepe Gonzoles, Fred Hughes Jr., Richard Fields and Rudy Morales, who were hidden behind the back curtain. Their enjoyable instrumental accompaniment uniquely combined Afro-Cuban jazz, Spanish and Caribbean sounds. Though there were several musical interludes in which the back curtain was raised, exposing the musicians, the musical ensemble could have been grouped along the side of the auditorium to enhance the ambiance of the evening. In between each dance on the program, dancers scooted across the stage from one side to the other in full view of the audience. The lack of scenery and this poor staging generated a distraction that is undeserved by performers who radiate such a serious devotion to the art. The final dance number, "Back to the Copa," featured very talented comedic dancer and co-artistic director Kathryn (Morris) Eurich. The 1950s rumba and mambo craze filled night clubs with competitive dancers, and this slightly cynical, definitely slapstick piece about a misguided self-image made the audience roar with laughter. An upbeat ending to a culturally enriching Latin evening. |