Decolonizing the Canon: Blue13 Dance Company Review
Sophie Bress for Ampersand LA
Blue13 questions the lines that we use to divide dance into categories, the lines that denote what is diminishingly called a “fusion” or “cultural” dance form. The company breaks these arbitrary lines, showing us there is no need for them. Blue13 dancers, clad in vibrantly adorned costumes and ghungroos (bells worn on the ankles in traditional Indian dance forms), whirl across the stage, swaying their hips in time to the beat of the drum, pausing only to balance in perfect arabesques, topping off their poses with the intricate arm, wrist and hand positions that come from classical Indian dance. McDaniels’ choreography shows us how much can be gained by a deep understanding and exploration of multitudes of dance styles.