Malia Movement Company's Blog

Review for Mixed Tape Series Vol. I-III

09 May 2012 Leave a Comment

by maliamovement in Community Blogs Tags: Area, artists, Bay, company, malia, movement, Oakland, support, women

photo by TuffGyal Photography

by Shawn Taylor

So, we just got back from the final performance of Malia Movement’s 20th anniversary celebration, and my daughter is still talking about it. Before I go into any further details, I need to get my biases out there: I really dislike perfection. This is not a slight against Malia or her company, but I do not like artistic perfection. I feel when dancers/artists/speakers/singers are too perfect; they cease being human, and become a Dancer, or Artist, Speaker, or Singer. Their talent eclipses their humanness. Not so with this performance. Those were humans expressing themselves with their bodies. Those were women dancing—shout out to the lone male dancer who did his ‘ting solo and had my daughter mesmerized. I make it a habit to expose my daughter to powerful, physical women, every chance that I get. She needs to know that her body is hers, and she is in control of, and in concert with it. These women provided her with a group of aunties whom to emulate.

These women, varying in age, color, build, skill-level, and hair texture were like a tapestry. Some threads may have been slightly out of weave with the rest, but this gave the whole more character—made it much more beautiful. It was impossible not to be moved (my wife cried) by a woman incorporating her daughter into her work. The love between them sparking. It was impossible not to feel a flutter of pure joy in the stomach when a single voice and a guitar filled an entire theater. And I do not have to mention the palpable connections and respect that the dancers had for each other. This was what made the performance so grounding. There were no prima donnas or stage hogs. Everyone had a chance to shine, and they did.

There was energy on that stage that I have not felt in a live performance in quite some time. Staging it as a mixtape was a stroke of genius (and so was the soundtrack! Roots Manuva? De La Soul? Me’Shell Ndegeocello? What?). It felt like I rediscovered one of my old Woolworth’s purchased black and red cassettes (20 to a pack), the tape with all the hottest joints on it, popped it in the Panasonic, and was completely and fully transported. Here’s to another 20 years. Well done, Malia. We love you.