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Name: ​Angelina Hahn

Location of Performance: ​Memorial Auditorium at Montclair State University

Name of Piece: ​Horizon

Composer: ​Steve Reich

Lighting Designer: ​Jessica Petino

Number of Dancers: ​12 Dancers

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Horizon, ​choreographed by Fredrick Earl Mosley, was an intricate, and imaginative

display of choreography. The piece's main focus was to depict a topic, this being the atmosphere

of a pond or river. Throughout the dance, the audience could see different animals, and insects

that would make up this type of ecosystem. Dancers would switch from the aerial movements of

birds, to the rapid shuttering of insect legs. There was no real storyline, or structure to the

dancer's movement, because the purpose of the movement was not to express an emotion or

narrative, but to demonstrate the interactions of these organisms. The choreographer used the

techniques of lighting, costuming, music, and dynamic changes to make this piece come to life

on stage.

As the lights go up, we see one dancers on stage. The female soloist begins to dance as

though she was a butterfly, making fluid motions with her arms. Suddenly, two vertical lines

appear on both sides of the stage, one made of boys, and the other girls. The males and females

than meet, and began partnering using lifts that gave off the impression that the girls were

floating through the air. As many of the couples departed and left the stage, one couple was left.

They proceeded to manipulate each other, however the dynamic of the movement changed from

soft and light, to rigid and sharp. This dynamic switch resembled the actions of insects such as

praying mantises, and dragonflies. As the rest of the cast entered, a unison group section began,

and both sharp and soft elements were used in the choreography.

Next, the dancers transition into another small group section, in which a soloist is given a

spotlight, and we see silhouette of a couple behind her. The soloist’s phrase included many leaps,

and jumps, much like that of a frog or bird. The couple behind her held an artistic pose, that

looked much like a tree. The sections that followed were many group parts strung together, each
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possessing a certain dynamic. For instance, one group consisting of only males performing

many trembling like movement. Many times they repeated the beating of their arms, and the

wriggling of their entire body. This movement style is very similar to that of a fish. After many

transitions between different group and partnering sections, the dance ends with the same

primary couple that danced in the beginning. The dance did not have a specific style, or energy,

but Mosley blended the different dynamics in a satisfying, elegant way.

Besides the movement itself, the technical elements of dance (music, lighting, and

costuming) have a great effect on the mood of a piece. The lighting changed throughout the

dance. The colors used were mostly cool colors, such as blue, purple, white and green. The only

significant lighting change was the shift from the group section the the soloist and couple.

During this segment, a white and blue spotlight is cast onto the soloist and a light pink light is

shone onto a backdrop producing silhouettes of the couple. These colors of light used are usually

associated with water, and nature which added to the overall topic being expressed. The lighting

coincided with the costumes as well. The costumes were different for males, and females. The

females wore purple and blue dyed leotards, with tattered, tulle skirts. The men wore grey pants

with shirts similarly patterned to the women’s leotard. The costumes colors combined with the

lighting design aided in depicting a pond-esque environment. Finally, the music was very

tranquil, and calm. The music consists of orff instruments, percussion instruments such as drums,

piano, flute and woodwind instruments, and other computer generated sounds. By using a score

such as this, the choreographer creates a peaceful mood carried throughout the piece. Because

water, and nature is associated with peace, and tranquility the music definitely added to the topic

being conveyed.
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As previously established, the mood that was set by this piece was a feeling of peace, and

serenity. The combination of movements, when combined with the colored lighting and

costumes created a visually satisfying piece. The audience also receives a feeling of calmness as

a result of the ataractic music. Humans tend to be relaxed when encountering nature. The

choreographer was intelligent to create this sort of mood because it adds to the overall theme. It’s

also more enjoyable for the audience to watch a calming piece rather than a piece that is anxiety

inducing, or aggravating.

The most memorable part of this piece was in the male group section. The trembling, and

beating movements were unusual, and were very unique. It added to the topic, and was relevant

to the dance. Also, during this part the dancers had a strong connection with one another. Even

though there were no music cues for this part the group maintained their unity. The dance as a

whole was performed very well, and also choreographed very well. There were no large mishaps,

as far as the audience could tell. All of the dancers had strong emotional connections with one

another, especially when partnering. This established a sense of unity on stage that was also very

memorable. There wasn’t any aspect of this piece that didn’t add to the intention. All elements

worked as a unit to fully display the intent of this dance.

In conclusion, Montclair Dance Day was a wonderful experience. The entire

Works-A-Foot​ show was well choreographed and entertaining. Not all of the pieces followed the

same theme, nor did they all have depressing moods. This made the show enjoyable to watch.

The creativity behind the dances was very unique, and impressive. Everyone should be able to

experience a show such as this, for a learning, and brilliant experience.

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