Minnesota Fringe Festival 2018: "MEDUSA"

Day: 4

Show: 15

Title: MEDUSA

Category: Dance / Original Music / Opera

By: Vox Medusa and Infiammati FireCircus

Crated by: Vox Medusa with Infiammati FireCircus

Location: Logan Park

Summary: A retelling of the Medusa myth using dance, movement, original music, and fire.

Highlights: Yes, I said fire. The dance company Vox Medusa combines their talents with those of Infiamatti FireCircus to create something unlike anything I have seen before. Performed outdoors in Logan Park in Northeast Minneapolis, the performance feels larger than life. A handy summary in the program tells us the general story of Medusa (she's not just an ugly woman with snakes for hair who turns men to stone, far from it), which helps set the stage so we can just sit back and let the show flow over us. It starts as beautiful flowing dance (choreographed by Julie Marie Muskat, who also performs the role of young Medusa), and then turns darker as Medusa's story grows darker. That's when the fire comes in. Members of Infiammati FireCircus carry big fires on the end of long poles, or small fires on short sticks, or swinging fire on chains, or wear it like a crown around their heads. They fight Perseus who is after Medusa's head, swinging their fire against his shield. Original music (composed by Jeremy Christensen and Dylan Nau, with lyrics written and sung in Latin by Emily Colay, the fierce gorgon Medusa, and also sung by Nicole Collins as Athena) is projected from large speakers so that it fills the vast outdoor space. As if that's not enough, there are also some cool video and lighting effects. Truly, words fail in describing this unique and mesmerizing creation. Their first two shows were rained out so let's all cross our fingers for a dry weekend so you can go see them Friday through Sunday at 8:30!

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here.

Fringe Festival 2016: "RUNE"

Day: 1

Show: 1

Title: RUNE

Category: Something Different

By: Vox Medusa

Created by: Vox Medusa

Location: Intermedia Arts

Summary: A dance piece exploring traditional Sami (the native people of Norway) culture and the journey of a Noaidi (Shaman) into "the Norse Otherworld."

Highlights: This piece is lovely and evocative, combining dance, live music, recorded sounds, and video images. I didn't quite "understand" everything that was happening, and wouldn't have known it was about Sami culture if I hadn't read the description. But I don't think that's important; I was still swept away on a journey and felt like I had visited another time and place. Choreographed by Kristin Freya (the piece was inspired by her own journey among the Sami people in Norway) and Julie Marie Muskat (the lead dancer), the dancing is modern and unique, but with a tribal, traditional feel. The costumes are lovely (both cool, loose, white Sami-inspired costumes and drapey red modern costumes). Four musicians accompany the dancers, with hauntingly lovely singing/chanting, as well as drumming. It's billed as "something different" but I would classify it as dance, and it's a beautiful and moving one at that.