Jennifer Brown

Measure of a Man

By Jennier Brown

Nominator’s Statement for the 2010 Metro DC Dance Awards for Outstanding Individual Performance: Christopher K. Morgan in Measure of a Man

 

To be able to portray stereotypical caricatures and make them seem endearing and engaging takes a talented performer. To then dig deeper and poetically showcase who you are at your very core takes someone who’s gifted and unafraid to bare his soul. To combine all of these aspects to create a fully-human character that can make audiences laugh, cry, feel empathy for and challenge their own world views all while exhibiting exquisite dance technique takes an extraordinary talent.

 

Christopher K. Morgan, CityDance Ensemble’s Rehearsal Director & Choreographer-in-Residence, has succeeded in just that in his signature solo, Measure of a Man (he both choreographed and performed in this piece), which made its DC debut at the Strathmore Music Center on May 22 and 23, 2010 during Morgan’s concert, Multiple Personalities. In Measure of a Man, Morgan is in search of what being a ‘real man’ means. Morgan took the audience through his journey of discovering what it means to be a man, seamlessly weaving them through his hilariously over-the-top portrayal of various types of stereotypical men – the Family Man, the Lady’s Man, the Renaissance Man, and the Gay Man – as he tries to answer his question.

 

Morgan then ends up making a sharp left turn into a dark alley as he battles with the fact that he will never measure up to what society expects these ‘real men’ to be, because his essence, what makes him unique and gives purpose to his life, doesn’t fall into a stereotype, and isn’t always what society values in men. He’s not willing to give up his true self, even though it may lead him down an unknown road in life.

 

While it’s impressive that Morgan tackled this oft-unspoken subject matter with such wit, sensitivity, and depth, it was his mesmerizing performance that made Measure of a Man truly special. Morgan was alone on stage, so close to the audience that they could hear his every breath, see every droplet of sweat roll off his body, every quiver of his muscles. His only companions on stage during all of this are his changes of costume, music, and his spoken and pre-recorded poetry, all of which he transformed from mere props to partners. For thirty minutes, he effortlessly transported the audience into his world, delighting them with his whimsy, theatricality and sharp sense of humor and then left them feeling empathetic, somber, and full of questions as Morgan invited them to witness the damage conformity can leave. Also, his physical and technical prowess never waned, and in fact actually increased, as the piece comes to its ending crescendo, highlighting just how strong and special a performer Morgan truly is.

Morgan also took complete advantage of his use of text and on-stage costume changes. Often times using spoken text can be a bit of a risk: it can either overpower or distract from the dance, or it can be either overly-ambiguous or overly-explanatory and turn the audience off. But Morgan use of spoken text only progressed his dance forward, adding plenty of humor and also showing us powerful internal dialog that made his struggle with conformity and individuality even more powerful, and truly resonate with the audience.

 

The puffy Renaissance shirt, and the very urban outfit complete with baggy shorts, skull cap, and bling, and the see-through black shirt, huge framed glasses and black platform boots all helped him to become the various over-the-top caricatures, fueling the humor of the piece. It also made the ending, in which Morgan strips completely naked, highlighting his vulnerability and true self, all the more powerful since his character had relied so much on costume to define who he was as a man.

 

In the end, Morgan didn’t just lay his soul out on the stage when he performed Measure of a Man. Instead, he showed the audience what a top-notch performer is capable of on stage– passion, artistry, superb technique, and the ability to connect with the audience. He presented us with over-the-top stereotypical caricatures without letting us forget that the person portraying the caricature was someone who is full of depth, personality, and life. He was also able to bear his soul, his darkest torments, to the audience without making them feel voyeuristic.

 

Morgan’s performance in Measure of a Man is an example of how the arts can touch us and transcend into important social commentary and break through the norm and call for change. It’s the kind of piece that will resonate with generations of audiences to come, and one that is deserving of Dance/Metro DC’s 2010 Outstanding Individual Performance award.