Art of the dance
TAOS IS FAMOUSLY A HUB for artists of all kinds, though it is rare to find the caliber of dancers that I was graced to see the evening of Oct. 23. The Zikr Dance Ensemble, a Colorado-based dance troupe, offered a physical look into an outer-worldly and spiritual experience with their production called “Portals.” I didn’t walk into the Taos Community Auditorium with the expectation to be shot into outer space with a group of finely-toned and elegant clerics, but that is exactly what happened.
“Portals,” directed by David Taylor, was designed to make you think about humanity, vortexes and what happens when one has the spiritual knowledge and discipline to access said portals.
The show began with a traditional requiem movement as two dancers took to the stage in blinding white ensembles. They hugged and bounced off one another, giving me a feeling of new life, birth and the timeless primordial sense of spirit. Soon, they were joined by the whole troop. The invigorating dance moves juxtaposed the slow, almost hypnotic, nature of the score. The set itself was quite simple, say for the projected images of ancient temples, cosmic constellations and various shapes and geometric figures that flashed in the background.
This piece was made to take you on a journey, from “the Gates of God” in Peru to the Gobleki Tepe in Turkey and the ancient rock churches in Ethiopia, the performance leaned on the visuals of ancient beings and gods of ethereal design while the scored leaned on the heart. The music featured ancient pentatonic modalities that pluck away at the soul and brought me back to my ancestors’ time when we were true seekers of faith, and god, and something deep beyond ourselves.
The Sufis say that the flute cries
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when being played because it has been separated from the reed. The sweet Lament of the Ney brought me back to my childhood when I was taught such things. The drums brought me back to a state of trance as fingers gently danced on the Oud in a rich track played during the performance. I was taught that music and movement were direct channels to God and all we needed to do to access higher planes of existence was to master those gifts and be transported. I saw the Zikr Ensemble trying their very best to invoke those teachings.
I must admit I found myself feeling a bit defensive. The performance felt, at times, appropriative — especially to ancient religions like Islam and the practice of Sufism which require deep devotion and a strict religious regimen — but after letting myself sink in, and reminding myself of the intentions of the piece as a whole, I was able to let go of my own ideas of who is and is not allowed to access my own flavor of spirituality. Once I stopped the bickering of the internal gate keeping, the portal — pun intended — opened and my heart was filled with nostalgia and longing and a bittersweet sadness that arises in me when I am brought back to the music of my childhood.
On a lighter note, the performance ended with a jubilant and joyous dance choreographed to Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes.” The dancers leaped and bowed, all dawning deep smiles in what felt like the breakthrough moment of the ballet. If the rest of the performance showed us the somber, mysterious and sometimes scary side of spirituality, this movement reflected the ecstasy and the joy of being alive.
As a whole, “Portals” was a fantastic work of art and the score was incredible. I would highly recommend experiencing it for yourself. If you are interested in seeing them on the rest of their tour, you can find your dates and more information at zikrdance.com.