by Courtenay Nearburg

In the careless spring, twilight settles over the gardens of the quiet estate, punctuated by the giggles of young girls prancing in the cool grass outside the chapel. One of the girls has a camera, and her compatriots leap and scamper, pausing to pose before formidable trees in frozen grace, arms outstretched to the branches, calling to her to capture their spirit, "Take a picture of me! Look, look at me!" An impromptu celebration of feminine beauty and innocence, just before the real show begins.

And so, Portraits of Angels, a performance by local choreographer Toni Bravo and Kinesis Dance Theatre Projects, began quite angelically, delightful by virtue of the enthusiasm and fragile ingenuity of its performers. The piece celebrates the feminine archetype, focusing on the accomplishments of a few extraordinary women -- "sheroes" -- defined in the program as "every life-giver and culture-preserver, every female who challenges status quo in betterment of human lineage."

The women honored in this tribute to femininity are Sor Juana Inez de la Cruz, Artemicia Gentileski, Hildegard von Bingen, Inanna, Tomahssiasah, and Mary Joe Frug. Each piece in the performance is dedicated either to one of these women and their contributions to society or to the role of woman as mother, friend, artist, intellectual, or revolutionary. The company, ten women between the ages of nine and forty, presents these pieces in the tranquil setting of the Ceremony Hall by the Mansion at 4100 Red River, an estate shared by the Sri Armananda Memorial School and the old Mansion. The Ceremony Hall is a small chapel, and for the performance, the altar has been draped in white gauze, the windows blacked out, and a black rubber floor installed. An easel stands to the left of the altar holding an unfinished sketch, and an oriental table occupies the right corner downstage bearing a large silver washing bowl and a porcelain water pitcher. Candles light the alcove, and a woman scats a cappella over the PA system.

Kinesis dancers are young, still slightly awkward, but in a romantic sense, their innocence shining as they delight in the performance. The choreography uses sweeping, grand gestures over the floor, with delicate leaps and intricate interaction, and a consistent theme of nurturing. In the first piece, a tribute to Juana, the Mexican poet, the three women carry a cross, a shawl, and a book, each representative of the reality of a poet's search for truth and for self in an oppressive colonial society where women only found solace in religion and familial duty. In the last moments of the dance, the women come together in the center of the floor, looping their arms overhead with the symbols held high, then release to exchange their gifts with each other before exiting. A narrator explains the symbology afterwards, but it is hardly necessary.

Kinesis incorporates multicultural elements into each performance. Anuradha Naimpally portrays Artemicia, a painter in the Age of Enlightenment, in traditional Indian costume, brilliant hues of pink and green, overwhelmed by the violence and oppression of her society. Naimpally's face reflects the horror of her experience as she virtually translates the story with her hands, exhorting her peers to stand and be recognized, to take their rightful places in the world of art and literature. The "Eulogy for Mary Joe Frug," performed and choreographed by Toni Bravo, is tragic, eloquently accompanied by violinist Shane Madden, who contributed most of the original music for the performance.

Most of the pieces evoke motherhood, with the dancers guiding each other, the elders instructing the ingenues through the rites of passage. Each piece contains its own ritual, honoring the memory of its sheroe. At the beginning of Tomahssiasah's tribute, each dancer contributes a token to the medicine shrine in front of the stage. During Artemicia's piece, Bravo finishes the sketch on the easel while Naimpally dances, completing the image of woman defining womanhood. Hildegard gently teaches two students the finesse of her politics, and Amanda drives her mother to distraction, complying to her guidance at first, then wildly breaking her grip, only to return to her embrace. Inanna, the only goddess amongst these exceptional mortals, strikes out to explore the nether world, risking her pedestal on high and her immortal distinction. In the final piece, "Jacinta," grandmothers are exalted, the guardians of innocence, with comic touches supplied in the soundtrack by recordings of grandma talking about winning the lottery and living long enough to see the construction of a superhighway. The entire cast engages in spontaneous jigs reminiscent of the flapper days.

Currently the Director of Educational Programs for Ballet Austin, Toni Bravo hails from Mexico City, and has danced her way across the globe, deciding finally to settle in Austin after finishing her education at the University of Texas. She has worked with a multitude of groups here, including the Theatre and Dance Departments of UT and Austin Community College, Ballet Austin, Sharir Dance Company, the VORTEX, and even the Austin Police Department. By incorporating dance into public education, she has had the opportunity to work with the Travis County Juvenile Court and AISD. She built Kinesis from encounters with students, her work in universities, and through auditions. Her company is diverse, charming due to the youth of the performers and the enthusiasm they bring to the stage.

"It's a lot nicer to get to do everything you want instead of having to struggle just to be seen," Bravo says, on why she is working in Austin instead of New York or Los Angeles. "We do a lot of social commentary on what needs to be changed, or appreciated. It's not only entertainment."

Bravo focuses on gender issues, using dance as the medium to convey the grace and vulnerability of woman in a man's world. Portraits of Angels elegantly transforms young girls into ageless icons of strength and determination, an opportunity for the performers to see themselves in these roles, and to be seen as the sheroes of all ages.

"By working in collaboration with a variety of performers and choreographers, we provide a platform for them to develop their talents while exploring the role of dance as art form and social commentary," Bravo explains in the text of the program. The company hosts artists to teach workshops open to the community, to expose the public to a wide array of ethnicities and cultural diversity. One of the workshops coming up will be taught by Frank Ktoola, a Ugandan native, exploring the rhythms and dance styles of Africa. The workshop will culminate in a performance called Ethnic Dance Trilogy at Ballet Austin. "All of our programs are based on truly cross cultural social concerns, social dynamics, and social illnesses."

Kinesis is a model for dance companies that hope to expand the awareness of their audience to the wider possibilities of dance as political expression. Bravo successfully incorporates beauty and grace into a broader message of equality and opportunity, reaching to her audience as Artemicia reaches to hers, beckoning to them, inviting them to join her in her transcendence of pigeon-holed womanhood.