Nejla Yatkin at CenterStage by Sylvana Christopher

The Other Witch woos by Sylvana Christopher

Nejla Yatkin (@nejlayatkin21) in “The Other Witch” 

CenterStage Reston Community Center 

Saturday, November, 17th 2024

By Sylvana Christopher

(Cover Photo Credit: Enki Andrews.)

I jumped at the chance to see and review Nejla Yatkin’s latest work; “The Other Witch”. Yatkin is a maverick in many art fields. A visionary, Yatkin fashions theatrical dance work that is revelatory and iconoclastic. She partnered with Reston Community Center which holds a sizable space with an intimate theater, dance studio, woodshop, swimming pool, event space, art exhibition and plenty of restaurants nearby to top off the experience.

Yatkin’s one woman show uncovers a new witch, sourcing from the rich sparkly depths of the earth. Crackling through old volcanic matter and disrupting the crust this beloved international witch sparks inquiry and imagination. A teary Paul Douglas Michnewicz, Director of Arts & Culture in Fairfax County, says that the “show is magic”.

The show features pulsating compositions by the recently departed Shamou, an Iranian American composer, dancer, teacher, accompanist and musician. It is a stunning performance with complex costumes and magical use of props. Certain vowel sounds as well as letter sounds like X and C stand out in the opening sound score of “The Other Witch”. 

An iridescent cloak reflects black, green, purple and blue in a captivating way as it cocoons Yatkin’s body. The dancer within creates a towering silent killer that emerges from this mass. We learned in the Q&A that this effect was created by the use of an umbrella underneath coat liner fabric.  Yatkin’s manipulation of fabric/props, handheld light sources/lighting design, masks/costumes transform the theater into a remarkably spooky space. She hyperextends her fingers on the ground or points her toes in the air. Like some sort of alien, her arms splay one by one from their center. 

“The Other Witch” is a nod to German choreographer Mary Wigman and her historic modern dance “Hexentanz” (Witch Dance). Mary Wigman, who was a student of Rudolph Von Laban and briefly taught Eurhythmics, is unquestionably the European mother of Modern Dance. I believe that Yatkin is showcasing the relevance of witches especially given the loss of what could have been our first female president here in the United States of America. Guest moderator Susan Manning, author of “Ecstasy and the Demon: The Dances of Mary Wigman” 2006 clues the audience to this lineage of which Yatkin is a part in a pre-show talk and post show Q&A. 

About two thirds of the way through the piece, the other witch exits the stage, while we sit in the empty space, then she reappears in a shiny plated costume with red lights attached to her palms. She uses these to illuminate her body and face. She is wearing a third rendition of the mask this time. Ponder the many masks witches wear to invite, satisfy, entertain, and ward off both evil menaces and goody two-shoes.

Ever evolving, a breathy soundscape creeps in as Yatkin slowly turns her sparkly geode of a head to a sampling of classical music while caught in the heart of diagonal light beams cast down from either side of the theater. 

Neck, shoulders, arms, hands, legs and feet show off in between a fully covered face and head bedazzled in a black mask with a black strapless bodice and black tulle skirt. She is indeed witchy in her rootedness and connection to light and shadow. Images of different creatures form like a playful axolotl, a mystic deer and a water bear. Great choreography can be interpreted into a myriad of stories that linger on like that of a soothsayer. 

Within the score, chimes are heard as well as otherworldly sounds akin to Mongolian throat singing. 

To sense without sight is an awesome quest. “How do I show the invisible with breath and light?” says Yatkin. She generously shares more about her process during the Q&A and decodes that ‘witch’ comes from the word ‘wit’, people of knowledge, the healers. I always look forward to this artist’s output. I praise her efforts to entrench us into a culture of beauty and acceptance.

Copyright Sylvana Christopher

Sylvana Christopher (she/her) (@sylvidances) D.C. dancer, educator and choreographer. Sylvana co-founded Glade Dance Collective in 2009 which continues to thrive and currently directs SylviDances. Christopher studied performance and choreography earning a BFA from The Ohio State University with the mentorship of Nicole Stanton.