SABOR, the much talked about event that was offered 10 reasons to be a part of. Of course the most important reason to be there but was not mentioned. It was implicit maybe, to savour an hour of experiencing the ultimate form of self expression. A movement of flexibility, synchronicity, expressions in patterns and moves that visually engulfs the primitive brain to such an extent that recognition of it is certainly automatic and universal.
dance and dancers allowed audience to learn about what they were seeing and who was performing. A variety of salsa moves entertained us with a dash of humour, puppet doll moves and freezes, that laid forth a very believable scene. An insight to varieties of dances were given, dance battles were fought, solo performances given, wonderfully choreographed routines held their charm and the stage was set on fire galore by the talented dancers. In my opinion, the girls were extremely sassy and stole the show. The split walk off by one of the
girls deserves a special mention. But the guys were not too far behind, show casing their technical ability and strength in lifts and turns, catches and moves. The carousel or merry-go-round was well executed and was a visual treat. The dance and drummer routine was refreshing and added flavour to the dance show.
There were definitely many moments of high power-packed performance, but the flaws were glaringly visible too. With so many good things that were seen, minor fumbles stood out, not only in the last line and edges, but in the center stage as well. With an hour given, a inter-woven story in dance to engage the audience would have
led to an enriching experience. It turned out to be a sampler of various dances instead. The lines and patterns in group dances sometimes showed loss of synchronization. Props add variety to the stage but is also makes it a difficult item to manoeuvre. I cringed when the props were mishandled as nerves caught up with enthusiasm, and it was - like stopping a hiccup midway. With such a large stage and so many dancers, it did feel that stage was under-utilized and the dynamic movement with interchanging patterns was missing. The dance battle sequence was all too friendly with a predictable end.
Before we get too critical, we need to dwell on one major fact. There was only one professional dancer, with remaining being the passionate, hardworking junta with regular jobs. All the practice for the event happened either in ungodly hours of early morning or late evenings with life occupying the remaining time. That determination in itself calls for a great applause. And being on stage is a nerve-wracking alternate universe compared to the rehearsals. And all that hardwork undoubtedly made the evening an interesting and entertaining experience!
And anyone can critique, even the guy who has just watched many seasons of dance shows but doesn't know even one dance step. But isn't the wow factor of a flawless performance, that gives goosebumps of trying to capture the complexity of what we see, knowing how many things that could have gone wrong but didn't as everything was the right place at the right time, make us pinch ourselves in disbelief? Isn't that the common ground between the dancer and the audience? Isn't a larger than life performance, where the dance routines
get a life of the own, with dancers being just the cogs, what everyone aspires to be a part of? This group definitely has the potential to step on that sacred ground that blurs the magic line between reality and illusion.
I know this because I was at the edge of my seat during the whole performance.
Take a bow, dancers!
Take a bow, Richard Tharoor!!
Take a bow, Sabor!!!
