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Three Local Lights, Dancing On Their Own
Barbara Allen; The Washington Post
November 14, 2007

"Three Dancers -- The Essence of Dance," Monday night at the Atlas Performing Arts Center, was a beautiful gem of a program. It featured a trio of the area's finest dancers -- Gesel Mason, Tehreema Mitha and Nejla Yatkin -- performing self-choreographed solo pieces and then a group improvisational finale.

In the haunting "For People With Wings," a strong wind blew a flurry of dark feathers onto the stage with Yatkin, billowing out in a cloud of translucent black tulle, like a floating sea anemone. Only the sensuous, wavelike movement of her arms gave away her human form. Over time the creature became fully human, shedding its wispy skin. Then Yatkin wowed the audience with her commanding physical presence: a series of turns and twists and a flurry of extended arms and legs in a celebration of the spirit of dance.

"No Less Black," a thought-provoking, narrated piece, opened with Mason, on her knees and blindfolded, facing away from the audience. The stark lighting accentuated every muscle in her back as her arms reached outward as if seeking a source of strength. Later, sans blindfold, Mason moved frenetically about the stage, arms alternately circling and rocking as the music rhythmically surged. Suddenly she stopped and covered her eyes again, perhaps in a metaphorical lament on race in our society.

Mitha, classically trained in Southeast Asian dance, performed two solos that effectively married ethnic and modern dance, creating an interesting hybrid form. Dressed in a black-and-white ensemble with red hands and feet, Mitha spoke with her extremities in "In the Spirit of Things." Emotions flared from her expressive hands and feet as she stomped and gestured, her delicate fingers fluttering toward the audience.