The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Wednesday, February 2, 2011 - 7A
Continental dance
'Idol' starting to idle
'Dancing Americas'
promises live music
and improvisation
By LUCY PERKINS
Daily Arts Writer
Geographically, the Americas
span time zones and cross the
equator. Two oceans lap at their
shores, while mountains, rivers,
lakes and
canyons Dancige
chop up Americas
the terrain.
And inside Tomorrow and
each nook Friday at 7:30 p.m.,
and cranny Saturday at 8 p.m.,
of this land Sunday at 2ptm.
are cultures
- each with Power Center
a story to Tickets from $10
dance.
"Dancing Americas" is a
School of Music, Theatre &
Dance performance aimed at
celebrating the rich history and
color of the Americas. The pro-
duction has been in the works
since auditions began last Sep-
tember and involves 45 dancers.
Its four diverse pieces incorpo-
rate cultural influences through
the use of authentic costumes,
music and movement.
"It's been fascinating to work
on," said MT&D Prof. Judy Rice,
the artistic director of the pro-
duction.
The opening piece is a
"MinEvent," which includes four
pieces by the late modern dance
pioneer Merce Cunningham,
whose company will perform in
Ann Arbor later this month. The
piece is set to a live performance
by the Digital Music Ensemble of
John Cage's "Cartridge Music."
"The music and the dancing
happen simultaneously but are
not necessarily involved with
one another," Rice said.
MT&D sophomore Alejandro
Quintanilla, who is a member of
the production, said that the live
music presented a unique aspect
of the production.
"In the 'MinEvent,' dancers
don't know what they're going
to hear when they perform it,"
Quintanilla said. "The musicians
do a lot of improvisation so the
dancers have to count all the
steps."
The second piece, "Towards a
sudden silence," choreographed
by MT&D lecturer Melissa Beck,
is inspired by the poetry of Hop-
wood award winner and 'U' alum
Marge Piercy.
"It's a passionate work and an
interesting piece to follow (Cun-
ningham's)," Rice said. "I've seen
it just morph, and every time I
see it I want to see it again."
Rice described the piece as
being set in the late '50s and early
'60s. Dancers wear costumes
reminiscent of the era, incorpo-
rating classic pillbox hats.
"The movement connotes both
constraint and struggle to break
societal constrictions of the era,"
Rice said. "It's one of those piec-
es that Melissa doesn't want to
say too much about, because she
wants the audience to take what
they want away from it."
The third and last piece before
the intermission, "Tango con
la vida," is a new piece choreo-
graphed by MT&D Prof. Sandra
Torijano. The work is tied to Latin
American rhythms and culture
with black dresses, bowler hats
and bright red lipstick adorning
dancers as they move to the music
of the Latina Strings Ensemble on
an elaborately set stage.
"This piece is Sandra's cel-
ebration of life, after struggling
with leukemia for the past two
years," Rice said.
The final piece is perhaps the
most anticipated segment of the
show. Titled "The Summit," the
number is a brand new work of
guest choreographer Dianne
McIntyre.
"This piece has been the most
fun I've had while dancing in a
few years," Quintanilla said.
According to Quintanilla, the
piece is a narrative of two tribes
separated by animosity, with
one dancer trying to bring them
together.
McIntyre didn't start to cho-
reograph the piece until January,
after rehearsals began. Because
the piece was actually choreo-
graphed in rehearsal, its creation
heavily depended upon the col-
laboration of the dancers, musi-
cians and the choreographer.
"Sometimes it's a little slow
because you have to figure out
what (McIntyre) sees so you can
do it," Quintanilla said.
For Quintanilla, working so
closely with McIntyre was an
exciting experience.
"Her movement style is very
closely related to my movement
style, which has- made it a lot
of fun," Quintanilla said. "It's
dynamic yet smooth ... it's realis-
tic, it's not overacted or trying to
be 'dancey.' I guess it's fluid with
a punch to it."
The music for "The Summit"
is also played live. The ensemble
includes bass, drums, guitar,
flute, trombone and trumpet.
"It's phenomenal to hear it,"
Rice said. "I was watching a
rehearsal the other night and I
had shivers."
Through each step, leap and
pirouette, emotion silently ema-
nates from the stage. Dancers
will spin stories through move-
ment - sharingthe culture of the
Americas.
By JACOB AXELRAD
Daily Arts Writer
I remember it so well - the
screaming fans, Simon's gri-
mace as he folded his arms and
glared at the young would-be
singers and the yelps of fami-
lies as triumphant contestants
revealed they'd received those
fateful words: "You're going to
Hollywood!"
There was Kelly, Ruben, Car-
rie and Clay Aiken! Remember
William Hung? That's right, the
"She Bangs" guy - in case you
forgot he was actually famous
for a short while. He was famous
because of "American Idol."
The show used to mean some-
thing. It was a landmark televi-
sion event when it first aired,
with the promise of turning
a nobody into the next musi-
cal superstar. And it worked.
Since her first-season win,
Kelly Clarkson has released
four albums, one of which went
multi-platinum and won two
Grammy Awards. Aiken didn't
even win, but he still became a
pop sensation. Again and again
the show lived up to its reputa-
tion as a vehicle to stardom. Just
making the final round provided
fame for more than a few poten-
tial Idols. This was back when
Simon and Paula bickered and
Randy remained neutral from
his side of the table.
But recently, things have
changed. At first, it was vis-
ible in the judging table. Singer-
songwriter Kara DioGuardi was
added as a judge in season eight.
This was fine until both she and
Paula dropped out. Then one
day I turned on the TV and Ellen
DeGeneres was hosting. Now,
I'm no expert, but what does
Ellen know about music? She
may know a lot about hosting a
daytime talk show, but singing,
not so much.
Where does that leave us
now? On Jan. 19 Fox premiered
season 10 of "American Idol."
Ryan Seacrest still hosts and
Jackson still comments and
criticizes from his corner. So
what specifically has turned
this pop culture phenomenon
into a shadow of its former
self? Maybe it's the revolving-
door judges seem to have gone
through in the past few years
(we're now on to Jennifer Lopez
and Aerosmith's Steven Tyler).
Or maybe it's the fact that,
despite being rated number one
"Steven, you don't have to wear Paula's clothes."
for six consecutive seasons, the revealed he'd be looking for
recent "Idol" winners have fall- someone with "voice" who's
en short of the bar set by those got "the whole package." Well,
of the past. If Kris Allen and Lee that's exactly what the show has
DeWyze sound a tad unfamiliar been committed to for the past
it's because they're the least suc- nine years.
cessful "Idol" winners to date. I'm not demanding the end
Or maybe it's the sheer fact that of "Idol." I'm merely proposing
after nine seasons, the glory has that while it may be the most
begun to fade. profitable of the talent-based
reality, shows, we're not the
audience that we were back in
2002. By this point we've seen
Sy the formula adapted to count-
though who less other genres. Think Fox's
"So You Think You Can Dance,"
da eff is Lee CBS's "Live to Dance" and
NBC's "America's Got Talent"
De VYyze? - all of which employ a similar
format complete with unknown
hopefuls and a panel of judges
reminiscent of the dichotomy
In a way, watching the audi- first present among Randy,
tions in the "Idol" premiere in Paula and Simon.
Nashville, Tenn., was like the Perhaps I'm nostalgic for
old days, but something was off. a time when it seemed like
The contestants still shout their all anyone did on Wednesday
dreams into the camera, and nights come springtime was
we get to peer voyeuristically huddle around the TV and wait
into the good, the bad and the to see who made the next round.
ugly of the preliminary rounds Chances are the show will stay
of "Idol" auditions. Except the around for a while, but winning
unexpected has become expect- doesn't hold the same weight it
ed. Lopez and Tyler bring little used to. The first few winners
to the table that hasn't already were bigger than the show. Now
been said, argued over and said each is only one of many to be
again in the past nine years of cranked out of the Idol Machine.
judging. This season's polite The allure of watching a wait-
mocking of Allen Lewis, a pro- ress, paint store clerk or bar-
fessional tattoo artist with the tender rocket to fame has been
appearance of a Lynyrd Sky- played out over and over again.
nyrd member, was tame in com- Maybe this season will hold
parison to the days when Simon new surprises. It'd be great to
would tear into contestants with see "American Idol" recapture
little remorse or sympathy. In a the flare it once had. But I, for
recent interview, Steven Tyler one, am doubtful.
i
Sequels gratify in gaming
A rabbi and a priest walk into a shitty movie ...
e Rite' is all wrong
By TIMOTHY RABB
DailyArts Writer
Watch out, demons. Father
Hopkins is here, and he doesn't
play by the rules. His cassock is
rumpled and
undone, he's a
relentless cat
hoarder and
he answers his
cell phone in At Quality 16
the middle of and Rave
his exorcisms.
Yeah, bet you'll Warner Bros
be surprised
when he pulls that phone out and
you discover that your demonic
antics aren't the center of atten-
tion anymore. That'll teach you to
possess people.
This playful anecdote isn't just
a short snippet of "The Rite," but
a summary of the whole film's
attitude toward the practice of
exorcism. The current demand
for exorcists in the Catholic
Church is as high as ever, and
this film is a pitiful, irreverent
homage to their sacred duties,
regardless of whether you believe
the symptoms of possession are
spiritual or not.
Young adult Michael Kovak
(newcomer Colin O'Donoghue)
decides to leave his father's mor-
tuary practice to attend seminary.
When his doubts lead him away
from priesthood, a chain reaction
causes a young woman's untimely
death and a crisis of faith. At the
behest of one of the seminary's
priests) Kovak gives spirituality
one last chance and leaves Amer-
ica for a two-month stint as an
exorcist's apprentice in Rome.
It's hard not to suspect that
several of the scenes depicting a
timid Kovak and his father work-
ing with cadavers were directly
plagiarized from HBO's "Six Feet
Under." The film finally starts to
pick up and show some promise
and originality in the second act,
but eventually disappoints in the
end with a textbook wrap-up.
Fortunately, "The Rite" has a
savior. Sir Anthony Hopkins does
a wonderful job as Father Lucas
Trevant, an experienced exor-
cist whose tenacious, unchecked
pursuit of demons leads to a dis-
turbing final standoff between
Kovak and the devil himself. But
brilliant as it is, the performance
is strewn in small bits throughout
the film, and can't compensate for
the otherwise-lackluster acting.
Granted, a priest was suppos-
edly present on the set of the
movie, which lends credence to
the possession scenes. The fact
that the script is adapted from
a book with real-life accounts
doesn't hurt, either. But you'll
be surprised at how many liber-
ties it takes with the narrative
direction. One minute someone's
possessed; the next, dead. Then
someone halfway across the
world dies. Then someone else
becomes possessed. Then anoth-
er person, but this time it's not
a demon, it's Satan himself. Pre-
posterous storytelling.
It's a tasteless Devil's stew - a
hodgepodge of cinematic com-
ponents have been wantonly
dumped into a boiling pot, but
everyone's simply too lazy to mix
it all together. What you inevi-
tably get in return is a chunky
mess of a movie with a plot that
meanders so lazily from beat to
beat that we can't appreciate any
I exorcised his
demon with a
nice chianti.
real progression. Several riveting
moments in the narrative bol-
ster the sense of excitement, but
a 110-minute film can't sustain
itself without plenty of good con-
tent, and "The Rite" ambles along
far too lazily to be a good film.
This adaptation from one man's
real life account of priesthood
could do so much more with such
a weathered veteran of thriller/
drama films, but it trades tal-
ent for amateurism and a typical
Hollywood ending. "The Rote"
would've been a better title.
By SHIN HIEFTJE
DailyArts Writer
Sequels have often been
frowned upon in film, as few
sequels live up to the original.
Rarely is this the case for video
games. Because there are so
many aspects that make up video
games, there's always room for
improvement in a sequel - be it
the graphics, the story or a new
game mechanic.
While it's always ideal to wish
for there to be more fresh titles
coming out, the reality of the
business is that making games is
expensive, and creating a sequel
to an established franchise will
always be easier and financially
safer than bringing out anuntest-
ed name. But sequels shouldn'tbe
bemoaned simply for being itera-
tive. New games in a franchise
usually only arise if the predeces-
sor was good, which means that
the upcoming product will most
likely be better.
I say all this because 2011 is
shaping up tobe a year chock-full
of sequels. It almost looks like
there are more video games with
a number at the end than without.
Fortunately, most of these titles
look really, really promising.
Sony's two premier first-per-
son shooter franchises, "Killzone
3" and "Resistance 3," are set
to release on Feb. 22 and Sept.
6, respectively, and Microsoft's
"Gears of War 3" is expected in
September. All three of these
games look beautiful and have
the human race fighting against
a race of ugly monsters of some
form or another. Go figure.
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tu want a little more think- the Marvel comics againstvideo-
your shooting games, April game characters from Capcom's
month for hotly anticipated published games. There's also
1 2," a shooter/puzzle solv- everyone's favorite gore-fest,
a surprisingly great sense "Mortal Kombat" (essentially
or where the only gun you "Mortal Kombat 9" rebranded)
hoots portals. due out Apr. 19.
e notable fall releases Traditional role-playinggames
e shooter/RPG hybrid are also looking up, with the high
Effect 3," the much-antic- fantasy "The Elder Scrolls V:
conclusion to the sprawl- Skyrim. Developer Bethesda has
-fi narrative of the "Mass been known for its "go anywhere,
trilogy, which is slated do anything" philosophy to
November release. There's game design, and its open-world
Uncharted 3" following up approach will undoubtedly be
globe-hopping adventures impressive again this year.
han Drake, which merged Even the PC market is looking
ng and platforming bril- strong. "Guild Wars 2," sequel to
one of the most successful free
to play massively multiplayer
online role playing games, is set
XT' even to be released on Nov. 2. Bliz-
zard, famed creators of "World
)other with of Warcraft" and Starcraft, is
expected to release Diablo III
this year as well, a hellish dun-
' geon crawler.
This massive amount of titles
doesn't even include original
fond of shooters and properties, handheld games,
an action adventure game downloadable games, lesser
d? How about "The Legend known sequels or games yet to
a: Skyward Sword" for the be announced - it's really kind
hich now features one-to- of staggering. It's nice to wish for
ovement between the Wii more innovation to come out of
and the sword in combat. the industry, but at the same time,
have a Wii? There's also it's exciting to see improvements
nous 2" on the PS3, sequel being made in "2"s and "3"s. It's
ck open world game about also great to see new entries in
agonist with electric super established franchises, like "The
s. Both are expected in the Elder Scrolls" and "Zelda," which
can almost always be counted on
at about fighting games? for quality. There may be a lot of
bout "Marvel vs. Capcom sequels this year, but who can
Feb. 15, pitting an inordi- complain when so many of them
mount of characters from look excellent?