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COCO DANCE FESTIVAL 2023: “Ori” Review

By A’Keitha Carey

Kieron shared the first time he saw Jaruam perform “Ori” at The University of Iowa where Jaruam is a graduate student, and how he was immediately intrigued by Jaruam’s physical prowess and the context of the piece. They discussed the premise of the work which focuses on the seven sketches and the similarities between Brazilian Candomblé and the Orisha’s in Trinidad. Together, a partnership was developed. Kieron offered his insight, helping him abstract elements of the work and assisting with choreographic sequencing.

After viewing the piece, I immediately understood Kieron’s interest. Here is my review:

Dancer, Jaruam Xavier begins “Ori” stage left wearing a white loose top and flowing pants. The lighting is dim and red. As the music envelops, chimes and the bells set the tone, calming the spirit. Jaruam is crouched over saluting the earth. He gently touches the floor with his hand, elbow, and then his head. He transitions into a seated position, touching the ground with his forehead, then alternates his hands to touch his crown. Lowering his body to a seated position with his legs extended downstage left, he reaches behind himself. Our eyes follow intensely. This beautiful ritual is captivating, drawing the viewer into the sacred and personal expressions of worship. As an elegant gazelle, Jaruam shifts his body side to side, never neglecting his hand/head motif. Carving space, searching for, and receiving the ancestral spirit—he is anointed.

His movement is soft, and fluid juxtaposed with a rich fullness that includes Brazilian capoeira, tai chi, yoga, contemporary, and release techniques. As the sound increases, the instrumentation shifts, reminiscent of a Brazilian rain forest. I hear thunderclap, horses neighing, rain falling, and jaguars and leopards growling, defending their territory.

Jaruam is agile and focused. His big circular movements are clean and precise as he accesses the ancestors, clearing pathways. When the spirits are connected, the energy is high; he jumps, leaps, turns, spins, rolê: (roll), and Aú (cartwheel) across the floor. As the ancestors assemble, there is a shift in energy and focus.

Standing, facing stage right, he cleanses his body, brushing down and out, sending the energy away into the atmosphere. As he concludes his ritual, the floor turns a beautiful shade of blue. He travels the course straight across the stage as if he were a boat skipping across the beautiful Caribbean Sea binding him to the Orisha’s in Cuba.

The tone and texture of both the movement and sound shifts, indicating that Jaruam may have entered another realm or accessed another spirit. He contorts, sweeps, unfolds, and explodes, bringing the energy in and releasing it seamlessly. The cleansing, brushing down and out movements return, this time he is facing the audience. His movement slows, and he embodies an animal. Concaving on the floor, his chest undulates while his head snakes side to side like new born mammal searching for the warmth of its mother. And, in the next breath, he transforms to an angelic ethereal being, spreading his divine holy particles into the atmosphere. Arms flailing, chest open, legs extended to the ceiling in a handstand, our breath is paused, we are listening with our eyes and ears. My skin tingles as the image of the statue of Christ the Redeemer[1]appears ascending to the heavens while he moves through the space. The light dims. This man is a conduit, overseeing and transcribing the orders of the saints through his body.

Conclusion

We concluded our interview discussing the importance of dance writing and the state of dance education and performance in Trinidad and Tobago. This included the need for professional development for teachers: continuing education, attending conferences nationally and internationally, presenting papers, teaching at conferences, inviting people into the space to talk about dance and providing workshops for dance educators, going to see local dance groups, and going to other countries to observe their dance culture.

With great conviction, Kieron expressed the need for government support, “we need to get the support from the Ministry of Culture in Trinidad and Tobago. You need to get support from them…to help the space to develop. I think that the lack of support is what’s causing this space to kind of collapse. We have a diverse pool of dance that we want to share to the world, and we need the support to share it” (Sargeant 2023).”

 Final Thoughts

One of the goals that I have as a dance writer and cultural critic is to pique the interest of the community so that people become interested in dance, are going to see dance consistently, prioritizing dance, WRITING about it, talking about it, and are supporting it monetarily.  

[1] Christ The Redeemer is an Art Deco statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, created by French sculptor Paul Landowski and built by Brazilian engineer Heitor da Silva Costa, in collaboration with French engineer Albert Caquot. Romanian sculptor Gheorghe Leonida sculpted the face.