Alayna Collins

November 1, 2014

Director’s Choice

On November 1, 2014 at the Wyly Theatre in Dallas Texas, curtains opened to the fantastic presentation “Director’s Choice”, performed by the Dallas Black Dance Theatre. This show consisted of well manipulated productions elements, such as the lighting, the choreography, the costumes, the set, and the music, as well as the elements of dance that all meshed together with the highly skilled dancers to make it the spectacle that it was. The most prominent of the production elements of all was the choreography. All of the dances were so powerful, emotional, and captivating that not much else was needed in the way of support. For example, the costumes were kept fairly simple. They weren’t flashy, but more subtle. In one dance, all of the dancers, men and women both, wore the same sleeveless red outfit that was adorned with a partial skirt. It was a group dance, so the outfits helped to enhance the idea that they were dancing all as one, but not in an obvious way that distracted the viewer from the dance itself. The lighting and set were kept very simple as well. The stage was framed by black curtains, but other than that there was nothing but the stage, the lighting, and the dancers. The lighting however changed from dance to dance. Some of the dances were be lit by a vibrant and happy red, while others may have been dimly lit by soft oranges, blues, or a spotlight. There weren’t any pulsing lights or effects; was just meant to add to the theme of the dance. The music played a bigger part in its contribution to the show. All of it was pre-recorded orchestra music. The fact that there was no live music also heightened the simplicity of it all, but the songs themselves did much in the way of adding to whatever feelings the dances were portraying. There were some upbeat, happy songs, some slower songs, and even one