Dance Reviews : Alice Lo Illuminates the Galaxy Center

One block west of the Chinese Theatre, Chinese traditional dance graced Hollywood Boulevard in a free outdoor matinee Saturday on the plaza of the Galaxy shopping and entertainment center.

Part of a continuing series of free Galaxy events, the performance found Hong Kong’s Alice Lo demonstrating classical and regional dances of China as well as explaining secrets of their technique, costuming and use of properties.

Lo began her program on the half-moon-shaped plaza stage under full sun. However, dancing in the 95-degree heat caused her to feel faint and call an unscheduled intermission, after which she finished her performance in the shadier audience area.

In the classical solo “Spring on a Moonlit River,” Lo wore loose, pale-blue chiffon and carried two large blue-feather fans tipped with peacock plumes. Sometimes the fans rippled like the surface of a pool, sometimes they were held behind her back as if they were wings and, when the choreography ultimately grew bolder in its effects, they became a kind of shimmering aura framing her face from above and below.

While she changed costume, Lo spoke about the “quick and small” gliding steps with knees slightly bent that made her seem to float through space. She then began a series of folk dances, none more artful than the “Peacock Dance” from the province of Hunan.

Here, wearing a long green dress, Lo emphasized darting, birdlike movements, her arms held out, angularly “broken” at the wrists and elbows. The footwork continued to flow smoothly, but the shoulder shakes, stylized wing beats and sudden changes of pose punctuated it sharply.

A gestural tea-picking dance from Southern China and a rhythmic aboriginal dance from Taiwan added to the pleasures of a gracious, illuminating solo recital.