Photos by Arnaldo Vargas
AHOYA, an aerial show performed by Sky Box, NYC, a group of 30 students and their teacher, was an ambitious and at times impressive visual spectacle. The show which played for three nights, this past week, at House of Yes in East Williamsburg, was choreographed, directed and written by Jordan Baker, founder of Sky Box, the only aerial theatre group in NY. The performers ranged in skill level but all were more than competent. They’d have to be, to climb 25 ft into the air, and perform physical feats with only a swath of silk. I learned that one performer has a corporate day job and aerialism is his hobby. Hmmm, aerialism for de-stressing!?
Tying the various performances together was a story line about a plane carrying a starlet and her overworked assistant which crashes onto a jungle island filled with wild animals and unfriendly natives, a very cute dinosaur on stilts, and a starlet-charming gorilla—a kind of King Kong of thirties-era adventure movies. The costumes and makeup were wonderful, and lent the event a high production value, and for the price of a $20, it wasn’t cheap. Sets were minimal with the exception of a funny silver lame soft-sculpture plane that comes swinging onto the stage, much like the chandelier in the Broadway musical The Phantom of the Opera. But with aerialism, the colorful swaths of silk from which the performers hang, create the main visual focus. The lighting at times wasn’t the best, leaving the upper reaches of the space unlit and performers in the dark. There were two live drummers, accompanying mostly recorded pop hits, which was total audio upbeat.
There were many sequences usually involving more than one performer. Watching four aerialists at a time can be tricky, especially when they get out of synch. It’s difficult to actually see anything but flailing limbs, I had to focus on one performer at a time.
Some stunning highlights included the cat sequence. With a feline sensuality, the cats slid vertically down the silk evoking a veritable prowl. I loved that move, as did the audience who let out a collaborative “oooo.” The three snakes were also artfully choreographed with three tiers creating a unified yet ever changing composition. There was a thrilling fire act, a duo of frogs performing acrobatics on a bar, and the native queen soloing from a large hoop.
Ahoya was definitely fun and made me want to try the silks! I was thankful for the story and the other theatrics inserted, because even nubile young bodies can get tedious to watch. But, hey, it left me smiling!
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