A Step Up for Dance Troupe

Golden West College dance instructor Nanette Brodie spoke enthusiastically as members of her ensemble rehearsed in front of the purple light of the dance studio at the college last weekend.

And why not?

On Monday her six-person modern dance troupe will fly to Mexico City to participate in the Contemporary Choreographic Composition Competition against a field of international dance teams.

The Golden West College Dance Ensemble, headed by Brodie, was one of only four U.S. teams chosen to compete.

“We are all very excited,” Brodie said. “International competition is a great professional opportunity.”

Brodie attributes the success of the group to its teamwork. “They have focus, drive and the energy to operate at a very high level.”

Group members have been together for years and have refined both their individual and group dance abilities during this time.

“There is no competition among us,” dancer Erica Jimenez said. “We combine our individual strengths to create a successful entity.”

The troupe, comprising six Golden West students, will perform a work called “Emigre.” The 23-minute performance was choreographed by Brodie and draws on the pain and challenges of refugees. She worked on the piece for two years before finally choosing to use it in Mexico City.

“The piece has to do with the terror of coming to a new land,” Brodie said. The seven-act performance draws from media reports, research and personal stories.

Some of the inspiration for the piece comes from tales from her friends who took extreme risks to immigrate to the United States.

Midnight passages across a bay in a rickety fishing boat, long jail sentences and even torture are some of the struggles her friends have related to Brodie.

The tension and fear in such experiences is evident in the music Brodie uses for the work. She chose a collage of musical pieces from nine composers relying on stringed instruments to convey a strong emotional element.

“The violin pieces you hear in the work give a powerful feeling of tension and excitement,” Brodie said.

The opening scene, “Breaking the Grasp,” deals with “breaking free of tyranny and oppression,” Brodie said.

Each of the seven sections of the performance deals with a stage of the immigrant experience, starting with wrenching separation from one’s homeland and ending with the integration into the American melting pot.

Brodie said she hopes the performance will be especially appreciated in Mexico, which has sent millions of its citizens north in search of economic opportunity.

Although the Golden West Ensemble performed at the 1997 competition, the group did not come home with any awards. This time around the 23-year dance teaching veteran said the group is more experienced and better prepared for the competition.

“We are much more settled this time,” she said. “We have been there before and have some idea of what works and what doesn’t, so we are confident.”

Andrew Wainer can be reached at (714) 965-7172, Ext. 15