Aerial Allusions

Rating:

Company: By Azana, San Francisco, CA

Genre: Dance

Venue: Venue #9 - Shaw Performing Arts Centre (MTYP)

 

There are moments that click, particularly Pilar's impressively acrobatic aerial silk work. But much of the remaining choreography that makes up the bulk of the show is simply too bland to be compelling.

—Joff Schmidt

Reviewed at the Toronto Fringe Festival (July 4-15)

"What is humanity?" actor/dancer Jason Morneau asks at the beginning of Aerial Allusions. Well, that's a big question... and you can't say this show doesn't set its sights high. But it does, alas, fall flat.

The rambling and cliche-ridden opening monologue doesn't get the show off to the finest start, though things improve a bit when Morneau is joined by the show's principal creator, Azana Pilar. Through dance - and another awkward pair of monologues mid-show - the duo set out to explore gender relations and identity. There are moments that click, particularly Pilar's impressively acrobatic aerial silk work. But much of the remaining choreography that makes up the bulk of the show is simply too bland to be compelling.

There was the definite sense at the performance I saw late in their Toronto run that this is a work in progress. But it's got a ways to go before it hits the heights it's aiming for.