If you’re looking for a way to connect with your tween or teen, BodyVox’s Serious Cupcakes is a night out that will cement your reputation as the coolest parent ever.
My daughter has been a ballet student since she was four and is always up for a dance performance, but BodyVox productions are her favorite. Every single movement is interesting, and we always leave feeling as if what we saw there could be found nowhere else.
Serious Cupcakes is a performance of seven individual pieces (treats, if you will), each by a different choreographer. Every dance includes an accompanying video about the creative process, which makes the performances accessible to audience members with no dance experience at all. Some tweens may be bored at the ballet or the symphony, but boredom isn’t possible for any age at a BodyVox performance.
Each piece is full of an infectious energy, and it’s hard to choose a favorite. My daughter loved “Table 4-3,” choreographed by Andrea Parson, because of its humor and creative use of props. I was incredibly moved by Theresa Hanson’s “Chasing the Sunrise,” which manages to tell a three-part story of joy, pain and the power of community over an incredibly short span of time. The intimate studio setting allows the audience see the authenticity of expression of dancers Bo Brinton and Elenaluisa Alvarez clearly. Brinton’s journey from apathy to joy was so beautifully gradual, and the ending is pure joy. I loved every choice in Hanson’s choreography, particularly the signaling of dancing barefoot in part three and the moment when Brinton follows the movements of the guardian angel, but not her expression. The latter reminds me of moments in my own life when I act the way I want to feel and wait for the feelings to follow. Anyone who struggles to find joy, or loves someone who does, will never forget this performance.
Another favorite is “Lyrca Dreams,” choreographed by fitness icon Laure Redmond. This celebration of 1980s fitness culture begins with a clip of chair exercise fromThe Jack LaLanne Show, and my daughter whispered, “Was that a real show?” and “Is that from your time?” (It’s decidedly not.) The audience laughed loudest during this performance, and this is truly an experience you can’t find anywhere else.
I won’t spoil any of the other performances, except to say that this group of choreographers is incredibly diverse, giving this series of cupcakes a wide range of spectacular flavors.
BodyVox performances are generally recommended for ages 8+. The playfully sexy moments in this performance are tame compared to some of the music videos my tween has seen, and I felt perfectly comfortable with the content.
Arrive early to buy cupcakes from sponsor Saint Cupcake in the lobby. They make a delicious performance even tastier.
Serious Cupcakes
BodyVox Dance Studio on NW 17th Ave.
January 26-28, February 2-4
Tickets start at $20, and there’s not a bad seat in the house.
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