Essence proves that the Motown sound is still hot

This year marks Motown Records 40th anniversary, and even though Oberlin students are a generation or two removed from the golden, soulful pop sound that took the sixties by storm, the Essence Dance Group has proven that the legacy is still very much alive. This weekend, the group gives props to the greats with a special tribute they call A Taste of Motown.

The show, directed and choreographed by college sophomore Rashida Bumbray and college first-year Kyleema Murray, consists of eight dances/acts which feature the original music of the era, from The Supremes to Ike and Tina Turner to Marvin Gaye. Bits of Motown history are also given between acts. One of the lingering ideas about the old days at Hitsville, U.S.A that many of the artists attest to is that Motown records, started by the legendary Barry Gordy, was a real family style outfit.

This ideal seems to come out as this show's strength. The acts are filled with high spirits, campy fun and a mutual love for the music that continues to influence today. The tone of the show is light hearted and the focus is definitely on having a good, nostalgic time. In this sense, the group is successful.

Many of the pieces try to evoke the mood and energy of the times that gave birth to the hits. The opening number, featuring "Dancing in the Street" by Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, is a good example of this. It is staged as a 60s summer street scene, with people playing hopskotch or taking a stroll and such, when suddenly the music hits and everyone breaks out into dance. Reeves herself considered that song to be the unoffical theme song of Motown, and for obvious reasons, it seemed particularly appropriate to frame this concert.

Although labeled a dance concert, this show is not geared entirely around dance. After all, the Motown sound of Detroit was a musical movement, not a dance one. It seems as though the group tried to reconcile this fact by impersonating some of the actual artists and recreating the original performances through lip synching. This was a risky decision. It is tough to do such legends justice by simply trying to duplicate their acts unless you've made a career out of it.

Lip synching rarely works as a performance idea, and in this case it was distracting to the acts. Because these songs are so familiar, it is not at all convincing that they might actuallly be singing, and therefore it consciously turns into the act of watching a lot of silent lip flap. The dancers themselves often seem bothered by the fact that they have to keep up the charade and dance at the same time.

The less successful acts are the ones that rely too much on lip synching performers doing minimal movement as the center of attention. This results in the music carrying a number instead of being its inspiration. Given that the songs are so fun and familiar, the tendency to let them steal the show is perhaps understandable.

Thus the best numbers of the evening are the ones with the most choreographed dance. "Michael, Tito, Jermaine...," a tribute to the Jackson 5 features a lot of kickin' retro dancing that captures the spunky essence of the originals. The final ensemble number, to "Shotgun" by Johnny Walker & the Allstars, featured sleek, original choregraphy which let the energy and attitudes of the dancers come out in a more natural way.

A special performance was also given by twenty-one students from Oberlin Middle School, who did an impressive group dance to Stevie Wonder's "Sign, Sealed, Delivered," which was perhaps the concert's most important number. It simply reconfirms the pervasive influence of the Motown sound and its ability to reach all ages and all types and bring them off their feet to dance. Rest assured, Motown will continue to have a fond place in the hearts of many and entertain until the next forty year anniversary rolls around.

"A Taste of Motown" goes up tonight and Saturday night in Warner Main Space at 8 p.m. Tickets are $2 in advance, $3 at the door.