Staycee Pearl truly found her groove recently at the August Wilson Center. The inspiration might have been #BLACKGIRLMAGIC, but magic was the key word.
We discovered so many parts put together with uncommon ease by a woman whose range has become something to behold.
It could be seen in the art exhibit in the lobby where Pearl, Bekezela Mguni, Kitoko Chargois and sarah hunt young gave us a personal reflection of themselves.
Herman Soy Sos Pearl, Staycee Pearl and Ben Pryor 
Kitoko Chargois 
Board president Veronica Corpuz and 
Anna slowdanger Thompson and Taylor slowdanger Knight 
Staycee Pearl
It could be seen in “Circles,” the dance itself. Born of house dance and music, it swirled, sashayed, undulated and, yes, twerked in a mesmerizing cascade of movement.
With the choreography rippling through their bodies like eels in a Caribbean Sea, the dancers owned it and honed it with veteran mainstay LaTrea Rembert, who confidently took the spotlight and led the way first, and newcomers Chandler Bingham, Lindsay Mcgivern and Raven Marsh bringing a radiant energy.
Then there was Jessica Marino Mitcham, who was in her final performance as a company member. A graduate of Point Park University, I have watched her artistry grow, so assured and seductive that she cast a purposeful warm glow of her own. Along the way, she has been a dancer, entrepreneur, wife and mother — a real asset to the Pittsburgh dance community. That being said, she left it all out on the AWC stage for us to enjoy and we were the better for it.
Less noticeable visually, but undeniable the glue that held it all together was Herman Soy Sos Pearl’s ever-so-cool sound score.
Maybe it came from house music roots, but, in his creative process, he has developed his own way of accompanying the dance. For this particular project, Herman gathered ten guest artists to participate, among them DJ Haram, Kilamanzego and Meejah, who gave him an array of sound clips. And, like a conductor, he plucked the clips in the moment to heighten the choreography he saw unfolding on the stage. As a result, each performance would have its own different individual stamp, much like the ephemeral quality of dance itself.
By adding the lighting, peppered with spotlights, and costumes that included platforms and platinum wigs, “Circles” became an uplifting spiral perfect for counteracting the pandemic blues.
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