Ensembles show energy

At the crossroad of eroticism and progressive expressionism, one leaves behind clothing and inhibitions in exchange for latex paint and provocative dance. Liquid Latex's 2010 performance, subtitled "Social Skin," accomplished this last Thursday when Brandeis students ranging from dancers and painters to choreographers showed off their creative talents through a variety of interpretive dances in the crowded Levin Ballroom. With only 10 sets in two acts, Liquid Latex forced the already open-minded student body to push the envelope and accept the natural beauty of the human form.The first performance of the night, "Circus," hyped up the energy already racing through the room. "Revolution," the next set in the show, was much more intense and highly charged. The dance told the story of a police officer enforcing the law on those who refused to conform to the strictures of society; however, the rebels get revenge and start a revolution. With its erotic choreography, occasionally spiced with a humorous action by one of the models, the audience was enthralled from beginning to end.

"The Botany of Desire" was one of my favorite performances. It retold the story of Adam and Eve but switched things around by having Adam eat the apple first and then offer it to Eve. The models were painted like animals from the Garden of Eden, and the painting was phenomenal. The snake was especially well-done as it sinuously curled around the body of the model. The choreography was less structured and more along the lines of interpretive dance, giving the story a poetic feel. The creators of this act chose the music well; a soft, melodic song played when Adam and Eve frolicked with the animals, but when Adam took a bite of the apple, Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" blasted from the speakers.

The next set, "Man vs. Empire Brain Building," was a cute story about the stresses of the modern man. Because of its simple plotline, it lacked the intensity of some of the other performances, but it managed to draw some laughs through the funny disco moves and unexpected can can dance by the models.

"Biohazard," the last scene in the first half of the night, was probably the most extensive with the exception of the grand finale. It really pushed the envelope with its onstage kissing but toned down by having the bacteria in sombreros chasing the doctor soon after. The music was great; the models danced to cutesy songs like "Doctor Jones" by Aqua and then some Lady Gaga (again).

Act II began with a skit called "For My Eyes Only" in which six women danced to the "Cell Block Tango" from the Chicago: the Musical soundtrack. As one of the most erotic performances of the night, it was definitely a crowd (and more specifically, the men's) favorite. Although it began with Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" (I know-again), it quickly moved into the famous song from the musical. The choreography was very good; all of the models knew their steps and performed them with precision. What was a little disappointing, however, was that not all of the dancers knew the words to the song.

The "Runway: World Runner" skit kind of threw me off. All of the previous acts had specific themes that the performers tried to portray, but this show just reminded me of an avant-garde fashion show. I can't say I understood most of the costumes, but the detail was astounding. There was no Lady Gaga (thank the Lord), and the music was different and fun.

In "Dancing in the Streets," all of the childhood characters were represented: Big Bird, Elmo, Oscar the Grouch, Cookie Monster, etc. Big Bird had an amazing paint job and was coated in yellow feathers. Oscar the Grouch frowned throughout his entire song, and you couldn't help but want to hand Cookie Monster a cookie just for being so endearing.

The grand finale of the night, titled ":-D ;-* 8^{ :-0 >:-[ :'(," was by far the best performance. The story is that when the "Wise Voice" created humans, he/she/it decided to withhold emotions from humans, but a few escaped. The dancing was sensational. The paint on these "emotions" was on a whole other level. The best was the two-faced man, who was grotesque yet compelling. I am so glad that Liquid Latex made this the final act; the choreography, music, lights, set and everything fit together perfectly. Bravo!

I laughed, I cried, I felt uncomfortable, but not once did I consider leaving the show. The energy of the performers made it an electric night. Some of the music, on the other hand, was a little repetitive. There should have been more collaboration between the creators of each act: There was a lot of Lady Gaga, which made for less variety. A lot of credit, however, must go to the models themselves. They were the ones with enough self-confidence to dance nude in front of a large percentage of the student body; without their talent and (dare I say it?) chutzpah, the show would not have been nearly as successful as it was. Everyone seemed extremely enthusiastic about what they were doing, and because they had so much fun, the audience, in turn, had a blast.