ODTÂs ÂHalloween Spectacular Be a Part of the Thrill
By now it’s probably common knowledge that I am partial to Odyssey Dance Theatre performances. I do enjoy being exposed to all forms of dance and the stories they aim to convey, but I can’t help but be excited about great dance that also does a superb job at entertaining. ODT has yet to fail me in this manner.
The company’s annual “Halloween spectacular,” Thriller opened Oct.15 to hoots-n-hollers from a moderate, but loyal audience. I find it unbecoming of theatre-goers that more seats weren’t filled opening night – I’ve seen their annual spring repertory Shut Up & Dance performed to energized packed houses. Hopefully the masses have merely chosen to wait and see the show as Halloween draws nearer
I can’t stress enough though the lengths ODT takes to offer audiences unparallel experience in many different forms of dance, all the while successfully providing immense joy and laughter, and gratitude for a night well spent. Artistic director Derryl Yeager, who by the way, attended opening night dapper as ever in a hooded sweatshirt and baseball cap, — damn, I love the man – professionally demands seven-hour daily rehearsals, five days a week, seven to eight weeks prior to each production.
This intense rehearsal strategy, undoubtedly, is what makes ODT’s productions so spectacular. But what is even more spectacular – in the entire dance model – is that permanent or stale about dance. Whether you’ve seen Thriller each year for the past 11 years or you’ve only been one time, there is absolutely nothing you will see that you’ve have seen in entirely the same way.
This year’s Thriller includes several original and returning pieces. One of the more popular numbers, ‘Jason Jam,’ is a Three Stooges-like parody on the machete-wielding nemesis in the Friday the 13th horror flicks. Also returning is ‘Children of the Corn,’ a scary, less humorous piece, and which was slightly better performed than last year. There are fewer high-pitched screeches from the dancers, which is favorable to your nerves.
For all you who love the male-dancer physique, the return of ‘Lost Boys’ will leave you over-heated and wishing your blood was being sucked on stage. Plus, ‘Curse of the Mummy’ is … well, highly distracting especially if your seat is on the floor and your line of vision is … say, waist high.
New pieces this year include ‘The Grudge,’ an eerie and dramatic piece that has an X-Files aura about it, which therefore I loved. Also, Yeager and (maybe 13-year-old) Tristan Gray, remarkably a dance teacher and a resident of Ogden, created a hip-hop piece ‘Mr. Roboto,’ which features a notable performance by members of Odyssey 3. Gray, at his young age, is already a genius. He will take the dance world by storm very soon.
On a negative note, though its weight is personal, interactive theatre peeves me. I think it’s an unnecessary tactic to energize audiences. Thriller has had zombies wreaking havoc in the aisles since I started seeing the show, and that’s alright. But glow-in-the-dark inflatable beach balls and confetti being thrown out into the audience like we're at an AC/DC concert, for me, is just wrong.
That said, ODT remains my favorite dance troupe in the state, and regardless of whether or not you agree with me, they have earned the respect of the dance community at large and deserve our respect as theatre-goers.
Thriller runs through Nov. 1 at Kingsbury Hall, 1395 E. Presidents Circle, UofU. Tickets $20-40, 581-7100 or kingtix.com.