JERBOA’S FLUX

A cluster of dancers stand in yellow lighting, posed in nude unitards with black paint handprints. These costumes set the tone for the piece, nodding to modern dance with the twist of a funky pattern. Tenduing in a diagonal line, the dancers slide their torsos back and forth while offering the audience playful glances. Inversions and handstands are a staple movement of this work, introducing all the upside down moments that appear throughout the night.

This dance marks the opening of Flux by Jerboa Dance. Many smaller pieces make up the performance, woven together by Master of Ceremonies Brenna Duffitt. Artistic Director of Jerboa, Jaime Waliczek, is the evening’s choreographer and also performs in these works alongside Sean Calavan, Lauran Drackett, Stella Kutz, Emily Rose, Alexandra Sipe, Constanze Villines, and Jason Perreault.

The opening work is both groovy and technical. Dancer Stella Kutz is especially commanding, daring the audience to meet her gaze with captivating but subtle facial expressions. High legs and fan kicks punctuate the angular movement style with splendid hamstring flexibility. While the material repeats, continually shifting group formations keep choreography fresh. Repeated choreographic motifs build incrementally into larger movement structures. Geometric arms develop into contact partnering utilizing sharp arms, and then later into angular human shelves for group lifts. This structural component feels foundational to several of Waliczek’s works throughout the night.

In a later work titled Ballicule, Waliczek, Kutz, and Sipe bounce on yoga balls that match the color of their athletic outfits. This work pokes fun at group fitness, carrying a “isn’t it silly that we’re doing this?” tone. Sipe engages her inner thighs to clutch the yoga ball, turning on relevé while holding the ball. The choreography becomes more outlandish over time. At one point, a dancer acts as an instructor, narrating out loud, “Give it a kiss, walk around, and bounce, bounce, bounce.” The performers kiss the yoga ball, subsequently banging their heads against it. The work provides comedic relief but is also well paced with cute dancing yoga ball arrangements. It’s a treat to watch.

Breaking up the night is guest circus artist Emma Curtiss, who performs on a Cyr wheel (a large wheel that spins on the ground) as well as a lyra (an aerial hoop hung from the ceiling). Curtiss changes footing surprising quickness on the Cyr wheel, elegantly spinning with impressive control. She has great musicality, manipulating the wheel to ensure it matches the song at every moment. Curtiss’ performance showcased great strength and a mastery of these apparatus.  

Two ballet barres stand in the middle of the stage for another work, Angles. Intentionally chaotic costumes feature large stripes, polka dots, and bright colors. The performers command presence as they walk backwards, forwards and sideways, stepping under the ballet barre to change lanes. As the name suggests, this work has a focus on angular movement patterns. The clean and simple movement juxtaposes the loud costumes. 

Soon, the movement builds in complexity as dancers create flat back bases for other dancers to stand on. At one point, Waliczek showcases her balancing skills by moving with jagged arms while standing upright on a barre. The tone of the work exudes effortlessness, masking challenging movement with ease and familiarity. Later in the work, Villines climbs on the barre from under, hoisting herself up to tuck her legs in while the barre is held off the ground on one side at an incline. Angles focuses primarily on maintaining this geometric movement aesthetic, as well as finding unique moments to highlight the athletic skills of the performers. It’s an amusing exploration of choreographic patterns alongside exciting solo moments that play up the dancers’ individual strengths. 

Flux as a whole maintains a sense of lightness, even while incorporating some seriously scary looking acrobatics (which they nail every time!). The modern dance vocabulary is well integrated with the athleticism. I left the performance with a sense of joy alongside deep gratitude to have both of my feet safely on the ground.

Flux ran February 7-8, 2025 and February 14-15, 2025 at Yaw Theater. For more information on Jerboa Dance, visit jerboadance.com.