Louisa May Alcott's beloved 19th Century novel
Little Women has been adapted countless times on stage and screen. There are TV miniseries, multiple movies, and several stage adaptations (including by two of America's most produced playwrights,
Kate Hamill, commissioned by Jungle Theater, and
Lauren Gunderson, coming to the Guthrie this spring). There's even
a (not very successful) musical! It seems we just can't get enough of this story of four very different but ultimately loving sisters as they forge their own paths in life. And now we have a new adaptation to add to the list - Collide Theatrical Dance Company's dance piece. Collide has been creating original dance musicals for 13 years, sometimes adaptations, sometimes original stories, always gorgeously choreographed and performed, telling a story theatrically with few words. For their
Little Women adaptation, director/ creator/ choreographer Regina Peluso has chosen to give Jo all of the narration and dialogue duties, with the bulk of the story told through dance, which works remarkably well since Jo is the writer telling her family's story. This
Little Women is beautiful storytelling that conveys all of the emotions of Alcott's novel. And as it turns out, even (or maybe especially) when this story is told primarily through movement and dance, it still makes me cry.
Only six performances remain through this Sunday, so head to Luminary Arts Center in Minneapolis' North Loop neighborhood to spend a little time with the March sisters in a whole new way.
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| the March women (photo by Alexis Lund Photography) |
Jo begins the show with notebook and pen as she tells the story of her family. After a few lines (presumably pulled from the novel), she jumps into the scene as the company fills out the story using dance and movement. Despite the fact that the show runs roughly two hours including intermission, all of the familiar plot points are there - playacting in the attic, meeting neighbor and new friend Laurie, Meg and Jo going to the ball, Jo cutting off her hair, Beth's illness (cue the tears), and more. But it doesn't feel like it's moving too quickly, or that anything is missing. The novel is well adapted here, and most importantly doesn't feel choppy, like dialogue - dance - applause - repeat. In fact there are few applause breaks, with continuous storytelling flowing from words to dance and music and back again as we're swept along on Jo's journey.
As with all Collide's shows, the company is filled with beautifully expressive dancers who create distinct characters and convey a range of emotions through movement, dance, and facial expressions. Bella West pulls double duty, as she not only dances beautifully and seamlessly as one of the ensemble, but she also carries the entire load of the narration, and does so with aplomb. She's a great Jo, very natural and believable, whether speaking with words or movement. Other highlights in the cast include Alison Bartels as oldest sister Meg, Emily Pitts as sweet Beth, Olivia Thornton as the young and spirited Amy, Heather Brockman as their dear Marmee, Nathan Huberty as Jo's best friend Laurie, Jarod Boltjes as Meg's beau, and Patrick Jeffrey as both the brief appearance of Father and Jo's professor friend she meets in the big city.
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the March women in movement
(photo by Alexis Lund Photography) |
The dancers perform to a recorded track of seamless music comprised of pop songs, but with a more classical feel than previous shows, and often music without words (think
Bridgerton). This feels so appropriate to the story and era, with a few more modern songs for some fun energetic scenes. The dancing also feels more classical and balletic - the March sisters wear ballet shoes and dance en pointe, except for non-conformist Jo. But as with the music, there is some more modern choreography mixed in for a nice variety of styles (choreography by Regina Peluso with Heather Brockman and Jarod Boltjes, with additional contribution from the company).
The Luminary Arts Center is such a perfect home for Collide, with the expansive space, high ceiling, and original brick walls so full of character. The space is beautifully lit, the March home represented with period furniture placed around the space, with soft projections on the brick wall backdrop that hint at the family home or other locations. Characters are dressed in lovely period clothing that suits each one - empire waste gowns, old-timey nightgowns, neat suits, hats and gloves - that still allows for movement, thanks to a well-place slit or other barely noticeable adjustment. And the hoops skirts worn for the party scenes are a delight to watch as they swoosh and swirl around. (Lighting design by Mike Grogan, projection design by Leslie Ritenour, sound design by Lucas Martin.)
I wasn't quite sure what to expect of a dance retelling of Little Women, but I genuinely loved it and found it to be a unique and effective way to tell the story. It may even be my favorite, or at least among my favorites, of all the Collide shows that I've seen. Maybe it's because of my fondness for the original story, but it's also due to the care and thoughtfulness of the creative team as they constructed this piece, and of course the gorgeous dancing by the company.
