Alloy’s ‘Dirty’ dancing enthralls

Dirty Little Secrets Dec. 5 to 8 Presented by Dance Alloy Theater New Hazlett Theater, North… Dirty Little Secrets Dec. 5 to 8 Presented by Dance Alloy Theater New Hazlett Theater, North Side 412-363-4321 ‘ ‘ ‘ In the spectrum of dancing, where basement party grinding is, say, a 1993 Toyota with three wheels, and modern dance is a brand new Rolls Royce, then Pittsburgh’s own Dance Alloy Theater rules the road. ‘ ‘ ‘ This internationally-touring, five-person dance ensemble performs some of the most energetic and inventive professional dancing you’ll find anywhere, and it’s one of Pittsburgh’s best kept secrets. ‘ ‘ ‘ Or, rather, a dirty little secret ‘mdash; the company will debut its newest production, called ‘Dirty Little Secrets’ this Friday. The work is composed of two choreographed pieces, the first called ‘Three Camilles,’ based on an Alexandre Dumas novel and choreographed by Marina Harris, and the second called ‘Schakt,’ a three-person modern dance set to the tune of six accordions. ‘ ‘ ‘ Stephanie Dumaine, one-fifth of Dance Alloy Theater, spoke to The Pitt News about the ‘Secrets’ debut and what it means to get lost in the dance. The Pitt News: Tell me about ‘Dirty Little Secrets.’ Stephanie Dumaine: It’ll be a raw, visceral, emotion-based evening. The performance gets at the core of people’s emotions. TPN: Does either work have a plot, or is it free-form dance? SD: Well, that’s up to the audience to decide. I know how I feel as the performer, but I don’t like to give that away. That unfairly informs the audience member how they should feel. I like to find out afterward what people felt and thought and experienced. Even if they hated it, I care about people leaving having experienced something. Maybe they liked the lighting but didn’t get the piece … as long as they felt something. TPN: How does dancing as an art form speak to you? SD: Because it can be looked at in so many ways. It’s not handed to you on a silver platter, like a theater piece or even going to the symphony. There you know what you’re going to hear. Dance is open to interpretation, as the performer as well as the audience member. I love the fantasy of it, as well ‘mdash; being able to lose yourself in something that feels impossible. TPN: When dancing, are you focused on each movement or does it flow naturally? SD: My goal is to find that space of release where I feel like I’m experiencing it for the first time. I can get lost in the movement because I’m secure enough, through the rehearsal process, that instinct will take over for me, and I can go a little further in the journey. It doesn’t always happen, though ‘mdash; a knee might hurt, the lighting might be weird, your costume might rip. Strange things can pull you back to reality, and then you have to really push through. TPN: How much work goes into preparing one dance piece? SD: We started with the choreographer for two solid weeks ‘mdash; our days start at 9:30 [a.m.], and we rehearse until 5. She left for a while as we rehearsed and came back for another two weeks. That was all for one 40-minute piece. It’s a lot of work ‘mdash; we’re full time. TPN: Tell me about the group dynamic of Dance Alloy Theater. SD: It is fantastic. We’ve an incredible amount of mutual respect. Not many people can say they lift up their coworkers every day, throwing them around and sweating on them.