For the past three years I’ve had the pleasure to be a dances choreographed by Crystal Valdez. In the last few weeks I began to realize how interesting it has been to watch her development as a choreographer. Her first piece was a fun, upbeat dance with many dancers. The dance was reminiscent of Brazilin social dance, the stage was filled with bright colors and flashy movements. It was uplifting to dance and was a crowd pleaser! The next year, Crystal’s choreography started to take on more meaning and send a message. “Femishpere” made a statement about the different roles of women in modern society. The piece was edgy and even uncomfortable at times, and it did an amazing job to get a reaction out of the audience. And finally, this year, again Crystal has chosen a specific theme to portray through her choreography, which she described in her blog. Her process this year has been very rich and artistic. There was a strong focus on the story behind the movement. Our first rehearsal was used solely to discuss the theme and get responses and ideas from the dancers. She has taken concepts from our stories and integrated into the movement. Also, she has integrated different styles of dance. It is so fun to see her artistry develop as it has. Each piece was uniquely beautiful and well crafted, but it is clear that the process behind each one has been different. It is fun to have seen that over the years she has come to be very talented in creating art that expresses a specific meaning as well as is pleasing to the eye!
Photo: Keith Mosher
