By Merle Exit
More than 400 students, including a group from Corona Arts and Sciences Academy, recently got a behind-the-scenes look at a special Queens Theatre performance of MOMIX.
Founded in 1981 by Moses Pendelton, MOMIX is described as a company of dancer-illusionists.
Performances center on not just the dance but on lighting, including a black light highlighting parts of the performers’ costumes, and balancing moves, which create the illusion of there being a much larger group of dancers.
“As the show got interesting, the music seemed better and worked well with the dancers,” Yutong Wang, a Corona student, said. “The black lights were amazing, too. I can’t wait to bring my whole family here.”
Last week’s show, “Botanica,” was a modern dance piece that focused on flowers, trees and plants.
A post-show Q & A was included so these students could spend some time talking with the cast.
“How do you do the show with only 10 people?” one student asked. “Quick changes and working with the team,” a cast member said.
Another student asked how long it took to put the show together after commenting that is was the best dance choreography and imaging they had seen. The dancers said it is a slow process and can take up to a year for the show to totally come together.
Students at Corona Arts and Sciences are used to studying various aspects of the arts, but were excited to see a real-world example.
“I loved the special effects and was amazed by what they did,” Dylan Restrepo said.
Although the special effects were new to Jailen Poguay, she was able to relate to the show from her studies.
“We have a Friday art program after school which made me feel connected with the performance,” she said.
In addition to the student Q & A, there were several post-show activities for the teachers such as “Walking in Rhythm” as a group activity and “Telling a Story Through Dance” as an individual challenge.
For further information on the dance company visit their website at www.momix.com
