Brandon BedoreBallet ReviewMarch 6, 2014During the Intersections festival, I went and saw Dissonance Dance perform their Watch Me Bounce presentation that highlighted jazz musics impression on dance. The dances varied from contemporary styles all the way back to the 1950s era featuring a variety of fun and interesting costumes. Each dance was more impressive than the next featuring each dancers extreme flexibility and superb control over their bodies. It was apparent that each dancer reacted harmonious with their partner because the lifts soared and looked effortless. The simple black space allowed the performance to not be overshadowed by any distractions and created a blank canvas for the simple but effective light design. To start the show off with flair the company broke into their high-energy dance titled Big Band Suite. It was my favorite piece solely because of how stylized it was to look like the 50s. Each dancer not only performed with grace and precision but he or she danced with joy, which is a dynamic element of jazz music. Each dancer extended his or her energy all the way through his or her fingertips and toes to produce a very clean high-energy jazz feel. Williams solo dance Boogie Drop impressed me with his strong isolations and his musicality. He owned the stage and really exhibited a modern expression of where jazz and hip-hop can combine to form a cohesive bond. He portrayed a strong character through his bold movement and the lighting created a cool spotlight affect to add to his presence on stage.Another fiery performance was the dance titled Burn. The red costumes added to the drama and the explosive dance, which also made for an enjoyable experience. This dance (if memory serves) was the most coordinated of all of the group numbers. They were all on the same counts and it looked as if they were one mind.For You was also a beautiful dance that had a strong emotional connect thanks to the performer. From the extreme extensions to the strong lyrical movement of the dancer, it created a powerful story. You felt like you were receiving the dance as a gift and the vulnerability of the character made you want to invite her to share more and that she was safe. In Feeling Orange, the lights added to this performance because it not only left you literally feeling orange, but it created a neat effect on the dancers bodies. It was the concluding number and they left it all on the floor to close a very successful performance. The Dancers had wonderful suspension in the air during their jumps and their legs were perfectly straight. There was a cultural impact from the performance, which highlighted the importance of Jazz music in the African American community and their expression through the art of dance. Obviously, it could not affect me personally but I can see how it could influence. I felt that it was a perfect addition to the Intersection Festival because it added diversity in both dance style and culture.