‘Bare Feet and Burning Bushes’ @ Arts Mission Oak Cliff

Photo by Francisco Graciano

—Teresa Marrero

“Bare Feet and Burning Bushes” by Dallas area dancer, choreographer, and teacher Jennifer Mabus fills one hour of self-reflection and healing through an immersive experience. The nine dancers plus Mabus, dressed in neutral colors but with an individual flare, share deeply personal experiences of pain, change, growth, and regeneration through dance movements that at times invite the audience to participate, to whatever degree they feel comfortable.

The site-specific piece is the result of a three-month residency awarded to Mabus by the Artist-in-Residence New Works Program (AiR: New Works) at Arts Mission Oak Cliff (AMOC), which this year awarded grants in the areas of dance, theatre, and poetry. AMOC’s beautifully restored church lends the performance a sacred feel which was emphasized by Mabus’ opening words, urging us to: Look up!

And up the choir loft/gallery, where one would usually find a church organ, the performance began with three dancers whose upper bodies were the only visible parts. Through an ingenious use of the balcony wall and back-dropped by a lovely stained-glass window, the dancers dangled arms and upper torsos in ways that delighted the imagination.

Then, a magical convocation of the other dancers emerged into the main space when Mabus rang a Tibetan sacred bowl.

The audience, seated or standing here and there in the corners and on the sides of the space, gently moved to make way as specific dancers neared them—to use a wall for their movement, or to move themselves toward a source of light. Many of us got up on our feet and remained standing and moving for the rest of the one-hour performance.

Some were then escorted to various inner parts of the former church. In my case, I went to an intimate room where a male and female dancer used a couch (yes, an ordinary fluffy couch) to engage in gravity-defying movements of great energy and intricacy. At the other end of the space a single dancer engaged with a small writing desk and lamp.

For me, the next space we moved was a touching one: the kitchen. Small in size, a single dancer moved to the rhythms of her inner beat while once in a while directly asking a participant a single question: What moves you? I heard one person say Love, to which the dancer smiled and seemed to create an improvisation spurred by the word Love.

Some of us were escorted back into the main hall again, a space where some spectators chose not to leave their seats. There was something happening there the entire time also. Meanwhile, I heard that some people where escorted by Mabus outside to a small area where she continued movement without any sort of musical background. There was also another room downstairs, but I did not go there.

So, just as in life, and contrary to the popular newish film, one cannot be everywhere all at once. And it was all right. Each person had an individual experience, no better and no worse than any other.

The musical soundscape spurred the imagination, changing speed and rhythm, engaging us with contrasts ranging from sacred to profane, with spoken word testimonials by the dancers. Remember, the inner core of this performance is based on the sometimes heart-wrenching personal experiences of each of the dancers: Willow DuBose, Marlee Fleisher, Kaley Jensen, Claudia Orcasitas, Sydney Winston, Caroline Catingub, Christie Bondade, Rai Barnard, and Timothy Amirault.

I asked Jennifer Mabus about the music in a private message, since it was not included in the program. This was her response:

I just decided to use music I love for this work, from classical to contemporary and Rock ‘n Roll. The classical composers were Hildegard von Bingen, Max Richter, and Oliver Davis, but the recordings all featured the beautiful voice of Grace Davidson. The sound scape for the immersive moments were by the generous dance composer Michael Wall, and I also played the dancers’ own voices telling their stories during that. Then of course, the Rolling Stones. I have always loved “Shine a Light.” The closing poem was by Shane Koyscan.

The closing piece could not be more uplifting, voices speaking their inabashed truths, encouraging all of us to do the same. I saw more than a few teary eyes among the audience members, and mine were among them. It is a rare joy to witness beautiful dancing and simultaneously be emotionally touched by the simple, yet profound notion that change, our one companion in life, sometimes comes at a price—but one that is well worth paying.

Teresa Marrero is Professor of Latin American and Latinx Theater in the Spanish Department at the University of North Texas. She also reviews dance and is an avid Argentine tango dancer.

WHEN: Performances were on July 28 and 29, 2023

WHERE: Arts Mission Oak Cliff, 410 S. Windomere Avenue, Dallas

WEB: For AMOC events calendar, go to: artsmissionoc.org