by Jane Fries for The Dance Journal
Nicole Burgio has a superpower. It’s her acrobatic prowess – and she draws upon it to climb high above the traumatic circumstances in which she was raised. In xoxo moongirl, an autobiographical multi-disciplinary work presented at Christ Church Neighborhood House in a 3-night stand beginning on Tuesday, Burgio shares her experience as a survivor of domestic abuse through storytelling, dance, and dazzling circus feats. It’s a story that she wants to make public rather than hiding away, and the piece speaks to the resiliency needed to achieve balance in our lives.
The set design is simple yet striking: a sturdy table sits center stage, a large paper disc is suspended overhead, and a red column of fabric hangs from the ceiling. The paper disc comes alive as the surface of the moon by means of a projection devised by Jeff Bethea. The costume design, by Evelyn Langley, features Burgio in simple white pants and shirt, with a dramatic emphasis of bright red socks.
Mel Hsu composed and performed the music for xoxo moongirl. She employs a variety of instruments plus vocals to underscore different moods in the piece. A vocal lament accompanies an anguished dance section, and then the soundscape grows percussive and supportive as Burgio summons the determination to perform an acrobatic dance atop the table. It’s a magical moment where the acrobatics seem to require strength and to build strength at the same time.
As a performer, Burgio is lively, animated and funny. She tells her story in bits and pieces – just enough information to understand the violence and fear present in her childhood household. She gives us a complex and loving portrait of her mother: an accomplished professional, a glamour queen, and a sleeping pill/vodka devotee. In the highlight of xoxo moongirl, Burgio takes on the character of her sleepy, drunken mom as she climbs up a column of red aerial silks, becoming tangled up, tumbling dangerously, seemingly out of control. We fear for her safety as she dangles upside down.
The production was co-created by Burgio and Ben Grinberg, and is presented by Almanac Dance Circus Theater, of which they are both members. Under Grinberg’s direction, xoxo moongirl pulls out all the stops in the visually stunning final sequence. As we wonder how Burgio is going to cope with the brutality she has witnessed, she shows us by donning a bright red gown and grabbing hold of a descending trapeze. She pulls herself higher and higher as confetti blows all around her spotlit body. In this moment of transcendence, she seemed amazed at what she could do – and sitting in the audience, we were in awe too.
Performances of xoxo moongirl continue on Wednesday and Thursday nights at Christ Church Neighborhood House:
Wednesday, June 27 at 7pm and 9pm
Thursday, June 28 at 8pm
Information: www.thealmanac.us
since 2015. Her writing has also appeared in Dance Magazine, Ballet Review and the Mills
College Quarterly. She is currently working on a biography of the pioneering modern dancer and
educator Marian Van Tuyl, who founded the Mills College Dance Department in 1941.
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