The stained glass windows at Salt Lake City’s Church & State reflected a moving performance by Morgan Phillips and Nora Price. ROOTS, performed the evening of April 12, was described as “a night of contemporary pole, original music, and film.” The event was filled with stunning moments of improvisation, skill, and choice. The sunset flooded through the windows as audience members entered the venue, performers greeting people as they arrived. To my utmost excitement, a dog sat in the front row.
The program also stated that ROOTS would be “an exploration of movement and music drawn from our earliest memories, defining personality traits and the places where we feel the most grounded to ourselves.” The performers invited the viewer into intimate creations through music, film, and movement. The night began with Nora Price on the guitar. Chords echoed off the walls and cathedral ceiling as the space filled with sound. Lighting by Tori Meyer shined throughout the performance with color stories of warm and cool lighting intersecting and playing off of one another, similar to the two performers. As Price was playing the opening of the performance, her body was cast in blue light, a motif that continued throughout the night. To add further depth to the sound score, Price incorporated vocals that were hauntingly beautiful, using what appeared to be an old telephone.
Phillips then approached the pole, the light from the projector casting her shadow on the screen behind them. I was stunned at the ease and physicality that Phillips displayed. There was a strong sense of both stability and risk in her movement. Film of tree tops filled the projector, a scene that transported me to memories of my childhood, looking up at the light peeking between the leaves. The pole mirrored one of these trees projected on screen, acting as a natural tether between Phillips and the space. Later on in the work, Phillips places one hand on top of another as she climbs higher and higher on the pole. As she reached the top, Phillips peered out at the audience with a look resembling longing. I found this moment impactful, a sense of struggle and triumph wonderfully articulated.
Partnering between the performers was exquisite. Their bodies created images of support that stuck with me in the days following the performance. I was not able to identify what was choreographed and what was improvised, solidifying a sense of connection and trust in each other. How can dancers partner with something separating them? And how can that very thing lead them to be more interconnected? Phillips embodied Price’s score throughout the night with her movement quality and performance. It was truly magical.
Allison Shafter is the 2024-25 loveDANCEmore intern.