Not surprisingly, “In Your Arms,” a performance centered on themes of love, makes a multitude of subtle references to Shakespeare’s classic love story, “Romeo and Juliet.” However, this debut dance musical is a truly unique performance in so many ways. Until Oct. 25, The Old Globe theater will host “In Your Arms” as it makes its world premiere.
Entering the theater, having only hearing the term “dance musical” being associated with it, I had absolutely no idea of what to expect. However, once the lights dimmed and “In Your Arms” began, I soon began to understand its unique format. Beginning with a song, as so many musicals do, “In Your Arms” unfolded into a montage of 10 love stories, each depicted through different traditions of dance including ballet, tap, lyrical, jazz and flamenco. Furthermore, the dancers were accompanied by a live orchestra, which framed the overall mood of each dance.
As a lover of dance from all perspectives, it was a joy for me to experience the power of choreography and its means for storytelling. Each story was set in a different time and place in history. Beginning in Spain in the 1930s, the art of flamenco illustrated a love story in an almost play-like fashion. From then on, we traveled to many countries including France and China, though somewhat stereotypically based. However, the audience remained in constant awe of the artistry, emotion and rhythmic accuracy of what we were witnessing.
Not only was the performance visually stunning, but it also conjured up a series of contrasting emotions amongst the audience members. In some cases, the story being told was one where great pain was present, yet others were light and feel-good.
Despite taking place in different times and places, the performance definitely made reference and spoke to pertinent themes in today’s society. For instance, one of the dances told a story of a gay couple while another referenced issues of sexual abuse on women. However, these more serious themes were balanced out by constant interjections of humor, in other dances, which kept the audience on their toes.
Overall, this was a performance of great variety both literally and emotionally. I would highly recommend any lover of dance or theater to experience dance in its many facets in “In Your Arms.”