(still) Unplugged, An Intimate Night of Interdisciplinary Arts

Photo courtesy of Skye Schmidt

Taped to the entrance of the dance studio is a flyer that reads: Bare Bones Dance Theater presents: (still) Unplugged, A FREE night of entertainment featuring dance, music, comedy, singers, and more!

(still) Unplugged was the second informal showcase of the year hosted on May 16 by the non-profit organization, Bare Bones Dance Theater. Open to all students, the performance showcases artists of all disciplines ranging from the Claire Trevor School of Arts and the greater UC Irvine community.

Always a successful event, previous Unplugged lineups during fall and spring quarters have included a diverse mix of contemporary dance, belly dance, swing dance, a cappella singing groups, duet and solo singers, improvisational comedy, and more. This particular night, however, was filled with heartfelt spoken word poetry, soulful musical talent, and captivating dancers.

Because the event was held in a dance studio, the small audience of fifteen made themselves comfortable on the Marley floor. Some even sprawled on their stomachs as they faced the empty space filled with only a lone, black chair.

Olivia Allen started the night off with a strongly written poem titled “Actually See,” mourning injustice within the world. As a current member of Uncultivated Rabbits, a spoken word poetry organization at UC Irvine, Allen is no stranger when it comes to projecting her voice and thoughts out loud.

The room fell silent as Allen spoke loud and clear, her voice rarely wavering.

“Humans need to stop seeing themselves as separate and different from each other,” said Allen. “We need to realize we are all on this earth to do the same thing, and that is to grow and learn and love, and we all deserve the same opportunities, treatment, and respect.”

In contrast to Allen’s piercing and thought provoking performance, Aaron Miller played acoustic guitar and sang in a soothing voice for a more intimate performance. His choice of songs for the night ranged from “Cupid” and “Bell” by Jack Johnson to “Lack of Color” by Death Cab for Cutie.

Simon Harrison, the co-chair of Bare Bones Dance Theater, describes the student-run organization as a way to encourage and support an artistic meeting of the minds.

“Within the Claire Trevor, we have four departments: dance, drama, music, and art. The school itself says they’re interdisciplinary, but Bare Bones is another way to promote more among the students without having the department to do it,” said Harrison.

Although the event only showcased two performers, Harrison found a way to make the night last a little longer.

“As part of the Bare Bones Dance Theater, our mission is to promote collaboration and community and bring together different forms of arts,” said Harrison. “With that said, would any of you like to come up here and show us something?”

A few audience members encouraged one another, but no one dared to stand up.

“How about we go, then?” Harrison smiled at Julienne Mackey, a fellow committee member, who enthusiastically shared the stage with him. As dance majors, the two were more than happy to showcase their talent. Instead of using pre-recorded music, Harrison invited Miller back up onstage, asking him to collaborate with the two dancers.

Miller strummed his guitar and harmonized vocals while Harrison tapped his sneakered feet. Mackey followed shortly. Although the two dancers preferred different styles of dance, they were able to improvise and collaborate together. Contemporary dance fused with tap all while acoustic soft rock played in the background.

Mackey and Harrison tapped, rolled, and clapped around one another. Their eyes met more than once, and each time that it did, there was an unspoken connection between the two.

Inspired by the pure improvisation between the two dancers and the musician, Annika Alejo, an audience member as well as a committee member, volunteered to dance with Mackey next. The two improvised to a Latin beat, inspiring Alejo to focus on shoulder movement as she strutted around the studio with confidence.

When Mackey and Harrison danced together, there was no physical interaction between them. Mackey and Alejo, however, leaned on one another throughout the song as they incorporated improvised partnering.

“It wasn’t hard to improvise to the music,” Alejo said with a smile. “It was fun. You just had to tap into it.”

Although the showcase itself was unusually short with only two scheduled routines and two tag-on performances, the night stayed close to home with Bare Bones Dance Theater’s motto of taking different forms of art and trying to collaborate it into one.

When asked what the purpose of (still) Unplugged was, Harrison simply replied, “To perform for each other and with each other.”

Photos by Crystal Wong unless otherwise credited.

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