SEVEN SINS brings the Garden of Eden to Bushwick

The sexiest dance theater company in town has outdone itself again and produced the sexiest show in town. Company XIV’s newest confection is Seven Sins and, boy, is it delicious. Pure decadence wrapped in the myth of Adam and Eve meets the seven deadly sins, the Bible has never looked this good.

For years, Company XIV has relied on a tried-and-true formula to structure the narrative arc of their productions. Take a well-known fairy tale, story, or myth, and designate a narrator to lead the ingénue along a naughty path to losing their innocence. Present a series of sinful dances and aerial acts set to a variety of pop, jazz, and classical music, and end with a hedonistic can-can followed by a soul-cleansing pas de deux performed by the ingénue and her prince. Throw some glitter on top and some spectacular costumes (Zane Pihlstrom), and you’ve got yourself a Company XIV show.

This formula works so well because of the amazing talent showcased on any given night at the company’s theater in Bushwick. In Seven Sins, the narrator is–appropriately–the Devil (Amy Jo Jackson) and she is introducing not one ingénue but two–Adam (Scott Schneider and Cemiyon Barber alternating nights) and Eve (Danielle J.S. Gordon and Emily Stockwell)–to the sinful delights of the world. Cue the seven deadly sins, the usual parade of lithe, corseted and pastie-covered performers masquerading as Vanity (Marcos Antonio Vasquez and Marcy Richardson), Wrath (Demi Remick), Lust (Lilin), Jealousy (Troy Lingelbach and Nolan McKew), Sloth (Nicholas Katen alternating with Troy Lingelbach), Greed (Richardson), and Gluttony (Sam Urdang and Pretty Lamé).

I’m always amazed at how XIV’s creator, choreographer, and director Austin McCormick can find fresh ways to present this formula with each show. Seven Sins is no exception. Even some of the performers I’ve seen countless times before still manage to wow. Richardson, showcasing her preternatural breath support as an opera-singing pole dancer, is always a wonder to behold. One of the highlights of the show is a double lyra act by Lingelbach and McKew, who perform the routine right above the audience. And the addition of a tap dance on banquet tables by Remick brings the audience right into the action.

Speaking of the banquet tables, this latest addition is particularly ingenious. Two long tables–aka VIP Serpent seats–allow audience members to sit and enjoy a sumptuous multi-course food and cocktail pairing served by the company members, often as part of the show. These seats provide an immersive experience like no other. It’s the closest you’ll get to being part of the action, and a positively sinful way to enjoy Seven Sins.

Company XIV’s Seven Sins runs through October 31, 2020 at Théâtre XIV.