Balzer Theater, Atlanta
July 21 2012

By Emily Yewell Volin.

Cherrise Wakeham’s Project 7 Contemporary Dance Company fused genres and styles in the company’s performance of Equiliftrium, presented July 20-21 at the Balzer Theater at Herren’s in Atlanta, GA.   The current concert dance community has a tendency to label work as ballet, jazz, modern, contemporary, hip hop or any other number of titles, and hold the work hostage within that microcosm of the industry. Cherrise Wakeham’s work forgoes these labels and presents work that is equally entertaining and artistically satisfying.

The cast of Equiliftrium moved.  Wakeham blended classical jazz and ballet vocabulary with elements of acting, modern dance, and gestural nuances. The audience’s enthusiasm for the work was palpable. The evening-long program intended to ‘lift awareness’ and ‘shift perspective’. These goals resonated at the heart of the production and balanced nicely with Equiliftrium’s full-throttle dancing and cleverly designed sets and costumes.

Equiliftrium thematically followed the lives of five female characters as they navigated urban life.  A struggling artist, a time-crunched executive, a delusional homeless woman, a college student/barista and a naive young performing artist became unlikely companions as a result of various happenstance occasions of stopping to notice one another.  The story line was linear, though a strong suspension of disbelief was required to keep focused upon the journey.

Photos by Daniela Jordan

Wakeham appeared to occasionally struggle with allowing her work to be what it really is, an unapologetic and wonderfully crafted fusion of styles.  However, her overall choreographic intuition is strong and, when she is true to it, the pieces she creates are engaging, edgy and beautifully staged. Optimist and Hyperballad were pieces in which the elements seemed in harmony while logically perpetuating the story line.  Both featured precisely crafted characters, while showcasing the youthful dancers’ technical and emotional proficiency. Caffeine and We Don’t Eat were also skillfully choreographed and performed, though difficult to work into the overall story.  Starbucks was the only miss of the night. It was a novel idea for a piece and would have benefited from more gestural movement exploration.  The concert’s consistent qualities were Wakeham’s edgy, exciting choreography and her charismatic performers who earnestly acknowledged and openly engaged the audience.

The highly celebrated cameo appearance of Swagger Crew was another highlight of the show, though their sudden piece lacked character development for both the crew and Project 7’s dancers.  While hugely entertaining, athletic, and well rehearsed, Promises’ relation to the perpetuation of Equiliftrium’s storyline was a long stretch.  All the same, kudos to Project 7 for bringing Swagger Crew to the concert dance arena.  I hope the future holds more in-depth collaborations between Project 7 and Swagger Crew.  The creative possibilities of developing that relationship are exciting.

The evening’s soundtrack was pleasantly diverse, though the transitions were often jarring.  It’s worth considering what shape the piece would take if Wakeham had the opportunity to commission an original soundtrack for the entirety of the work.

The final track of the evening’s performance was Jessie J and Rihanna’s recording of We Found Love.  As they sang “we found love in a hopeless place”, I couldn’t help but think Project 7 Contemporary Dance Company has brought contemporary dance to what often seems a hopeless place – into the concert dance spotlight.  Keep on eye on this company, they know the pulse of contemporary concert dance and are on the move.

Project 7 Contemporary Dance Company

February 17 2012
7 Stages Theatre, Atlanta GA

By Deborah Searle.

For the past four years I have been watching Project 7 Contemporary Dance Company mature and find its place in the Atlanta dance scene.  Under the direction of Cherrise Wakeham, Project 7 continues to give young dancers a place to learn, express and push the boundaries of commercial contemporary dance.

"A Long Walk". Photos Daniela Jordan

With not an empty seat in the house, Project 7’s newest performance was a showcase of ten distinct pieces interwoven with text. Each piece was very different but worked towards a message of how love and hope can overcome fear.  Some dances were very lyrical, some very introverted and intricate, and others more jazzy and isolated, with props such as steps, a door and umbrellas utilized in interesting ways.  Each piece had me fully engaged and on a journey with the performers.

The stage design was simple, but elegant, with an eclectic mix of dimly lit chandeliers hanging from the rigs. At times all the chandeliers were lit and at others, just a few. They created beautiful shadows on the cyclorama and were very effective.

Wakeham’s choreography is always intricate, interesting and enjoyable to watch. It isn’t so contemporary that it’s an acquired taste for those who enjoy the unusual arts, but it isn’t so commercial that it seems over stylized and competition dance-like. Wakeham has created a balance where the general public, dance lovers and artists alike can walk away from the theater challenged, touched and inspired.

"Fearidescence".

The highlights of the evening were the pieces “Why”, which I had seen performed before, and “Forgiveness”. Both these pieces took my breath away. They were obvious crowd favorites as well.  The way that Wakeham connected her movements and embodied the music in even the smallest of twitches or shoulder rolls, was something special. She has a movement language of her own.  Every piece presented was fully realized. Wakeham captures the potential of her dancers, the music and the movement.

The dancers of Project 7 are stunning, expressive dancers, who can explode into a dynamic leap out of nowhere, but also melt with coolness and calm. Under Wakeham’s direction this group of talented young dancers has the world at their feet.

Published by Dance Informa dance magazine – dance news, dance auditions & dance events.

7 Stages Theatre, Atlanta, GA
January 23

By Deborah Searle.

In today’s modern age we so often communicate wall to wall, instead of face to face. We chat through cyberspace with email, sms and facebook, and can replace genuine, intimate, in person conversation with a brief wall post or status update. In Wall-to-Wall Project 7 aimed to break through this mould and bring a raw and uncontrived dialect to the audience, speaking to us through movement, and sharing their passion for life, love and each other.

As choreographer Cherrise Wakeham explained, this showing was a look at Project 7’s ‘greatest hits album’. It was a display of their most powerful and award winning pieces from their short four year history.  As such, it was an eclectic mix of contemporary and commercial dance, with deep, emotive pieces mixed with the fun, fast and upbeat.

Act One was challenging and emotional. Every piece showcased rich contemporary choreography with themes of love and loss.  The dancers shone as strong and committed technicians with a raw and truthful energy. Be Your Love, which was chosen as a Top 25 finalist in the Capezio Ace Awards last year was the stand out piece, involving strong partnering with guest artist Taylor Bradley. The choreography was intuitive and used every element of the music. The dancers were flawless and lived every step.

The Letter by Mary Frances Doss was intimate and heart wrenching. As members of the audience sobbed, Mary Frances danced to the words of a letter written to her deceased mother. With no music and only words, coupled with beautiful and passionate movement, The Letter was a look into Mary Frances’ broken heart. In Act One every number brought something rich and powerful to the stage.

Act Two was a distinct change with more upbeat and fast, jazzy numbers. This was a much needed light hearted change from the first act. I believe the programming would have benefited from a different order of the dance pieces.  If at least one of the faster upbeat numbers was presented in the first act it would have brought some variety to the segment and a chance for the audience to breathe. Cherrise Wakeham has a fresh and distinct choreographic voice that is different, yet striking. However, the contemporary numbers performed contained several of the same types of gestures, motifs and movements, and although very interesting, it sometimes got a little repetitive for the audience as we watched similar contemporary pieces danced one after the other. Each number, however, was highly engaging and performed with excellence.

Creeper, with the use of rocking chairs, was ingenious as it brought a little ‘grunge’ to the stage and Freewave, involving a long wave like platform, was whimsical and creative. Dances Smile and Collapse were isolated, fast, dynamic and extremely entertaining. These were crowd pleasers as the audience grew distinctly more rowdy in the second act.

Renee Locher, a talented and expressive dancer, gave a wonderful solo to The Minnow and the Trout, but I was left wanting more. There were several moments of musical crescendo where she would run as if she was preparing to leap, but then wouldn’t. As she entered for the finale with a beautiful elevated jeté I wished we had seen this in her solo, as she is a technically strong dancer with wonderful extension and elevation. She gave so many snippets of brilliance, but I knew she had more in her and I wanted to she her push the boundaries.

A distinctive aspect of the evening was that the dancers themselves introduced each number. This made the works more personal and gave us the story behind the choreography and the dancers’ own perceptions. I appreciated the personal touch and felt that it worked well with the theme of communication and the building of relationships. The dancers grew more and more out of breath as the show progressed, so the later speeches were quite raspy, but this just added to the realness of the performance and brought a smile to our faces.

Project 7 boasts a talented group of dancers and a true creative genius in Artistic Director Cherrise Wakeham.  The company has a bright future ahead and is a testament to what hard work, dedication and a commitment to creativity can achieve.

Spotlight on Atlanta’s Cherrise Wakeham

By Deborah Searle. 

Cherrise Wakeham is making waves in the Atlanta dance scene. After seeing her unique and inspired choreography, I had to speak with Cherrise and uncover her magic for movement. The Artistic Director of Project 7 Dance Company and Associate Director for Roswell City Dance, Cherrise has received several choreographic and entertainment awards on both the regional and national level. Cherrise has a keen following in the south, teaching numerous masterclasses throughout the year, and her strong choreographic voice has taken her dancers to perform across the country to rapturous applause. Cherrise and Project 7 are on the stage and very soon they may be center, spotlight…

You have won many awards for your choreography. What motivates you to dance and create?
The layers in a song. The texture of a piece of fabric.  The position of the sun at a certain time of day.  Anything that lends a fresh perspective and offers the basis for a story.  I think life is constantly inviting us to see the possibilities in things.  If we’re open to it, there are endless opportunities to pull from and be moved by.

Tell us about Project 7. What is your vision? What are your upcoming projects?
Project 7 is a non-profit professional contemporary company I began in February of 2007 to use the power of contemporary dance to inspire audiences of all types in a positive and accessible way. I wanted to create a company that would use our energies and talents to appeal to dancers and non-dancers alike in a way that makes dance understandable, authentic and inviting. As complex and magical as dance can be, I think it’s important for choreographers, directors and dancers to make our craft something everyone can relate to, be moved by, and feel a part of.

Project 7 perform The Land, The Sea & The Creationist

What are your upcoming projects?
Upcoming projects include The Movement Gallery: Midnight in the Garden, commissioned by Flux Projects, our 2011 Winter Showcase on January 23rd at 7 Stages Theater, our second annual summer production, The Land, the Sea and the Creationist in July, as well as several guest performances throughout the season including ugaMiracle, DanceATHENS and the Roswell City Dance Annual Winter Concert.

When choosing dancers for Project 7, what do you look for?
When choosing dancers for Project 7, I look for a pure quality of movement, a humble, professional, respectful attitude and a sense of initiative.  I’ve had group auditions in the past, but have found it to be no more telling about the true character of the dancer than a video submission.  Fortunately, having worked in Atlanta with so many dancers over the past 10 years, I’ve had the opportunity to pull dancers by invitation and then conduct interviews to learn more about their goals as an artist and who they are as a person.

Your recent work, The Land, The Sea and the Creationist was whimsical and dream-like. Where did the concept come from?
This concept has been a work in progress for about two years beginning with three solos I choreographed in 2008. First the Land, then the Sea, then the Creationist. What began as a desire to tap into the natural roots of the artistic process grew into the story of a little girl’s dream about a whimsical journey through various phases of the earth’s inspiration and how it equips the creative process. I’ve always been a nature-lover and believe that the source of creation is just as alive within us as it is within the sun, the rain or the soil. In tapping into this truth, I began listening to music while sitting quietly on the beach and taking in the colors around me to come up with costume designs, lighting and choreography that would tie into the three main sections. I sat and watched how bugs moved and how the waves oscillated. I watched the sun go down in its perfect pink form against a misty pier. In rehearsals, I tried to remember the combination of these elements as the creative process evolved and from there, the entire production took on an even greater sense of chemistry than I could ever have imagined.

As you are based in Georgia and well immersed in both studio and company life, tell us about the Atlanta dance scene. What’s ‘hot’ right now in Atlanta?
So many things, it’s hard to pinpoint! I think this city embraces so many styles of music and movement, and is so culturally diverse in terms of what is appreciated, that Atlanta’s wide range of dance, whether it’s Contemporary, African, Modern, Ballet or Jazz, is the very thing that appeals to audiences and motivates artists to grow here. From the abstract to the well-defined, from flesh-toned leotards to elaborate costumes, from the stage to the streets, dance is taking all forms throughout Atlanta and, in turn, enabling dancers, choreographers and dance instructors to share a language that is uniquely their own.  

Project 7 perform 'Why'

What advice would you give to dancers in the ‘South’ who want to make their mark in the industry?
First, understand the goals of the company, agency or organization with which you want to connect.  Make it a point to take initiative in that direction and go above and beyond in your own unique way to let them know you are committed to those goals. Secondly, be authentically you in everything you do. Let your craft come from the purest place within you and everything else will follow. Thirdly, prove yourself through working hard until the job is thoroughly complete. In other words, don’t give up! Not in the middle of a dance. Not before the moment you bow your head at the end of a show. Not even in the midst of rejection. Perseverance builds character.

Where will we see your work next?
Our newest project, The Movement Gallery: Midnight in the Garden, commissioned by Flux Projects, debuted this week on October 1st in Castleberry Hill, downtown Atlanta.  In a black-lit plexiglass greenhouse, dancers transform into mystical glowing creatures as they transition between stillness and movement throughout the misty terrarium.  With electronic music, nature sounds, floral aromas and an intriguing display of movement and design, viewers become a part of the scene by enjoying a multi-sensory experience of contemporary dance in a whole new light!

What are your future dreams/goals?
When the funding is available, I want to take our summer production, The Land, the Sea and the Creationist on tour. I want to build on an environment where truly committed dancers receive the compensation they deserve for the mental and physical commitment they make to their craft and to the work created. I want to reach a 4-year old and an 83-year old simultaneously with one performance.  I want to generate enough profit from one performance to pay off the debt of an Autistic child’s medical bills. I want to hold a master class in Time Square. I want someone to walk away from our summer production and see all the earth’s wonders in a whole new way. And finally, my goal is to keep an open mind and always be motivated rather than satisfied by my accomplishments. I hope anything I’ve achieved thus far simply feeds my desire to learn and become a better student of life.

For more information on Project 7 visit www.project7dance.com

Published by www.danceinforma.com