Second Hand Dance Company
Gives First Rate Performance in Owego

"Fun!" "Different!" "Fabulous!" That's how a full-house audience reacted to the Second Hand Dance Company after an October 25 performance at the Owego Middle School.

The three-man dance group is a post-modern performance ensemble, which is, as they say, "a big way of saying we make weird and fun dance shows." They mix dance, comedy, and acrobatics; spice it with screaming, shouting, and strange vocalizations; and present it with everyday props and a rag-bag collection of clothes. And they leave the audience hungry for more as they stand and applaud.

The Second Hand Dance Company - the name refers to using materials for costumes and props found in dumpsters and thrift shops - consists of three dancers: Andy Horowitz (the one with long hair), Greg O'Brien (the one with no hair - he has a condition known as Alopecea Areota), and Paul Gordon (the other one!).

They began their performance in Owego with a 15 minute "chat" with the audience. Andy Horowitz introduced his son who was sitting in the front row. He asked his son if he'd like to see daddy dance, and a small, shy voice simply said, "No."

The rest of the audience was more than ready to see the first act - 30 minutes of dances which included "Three Men at the Zoo," "Waltzing Dogs," and three tangos. The first tango was performed in bathrobes, the second in boxer shorts. The third, "Flashlight Tango," was performed using a ladder and flashlights.

After a twenty-minute intermission, the company continued with Act 2 and more outrageous and creative dances such as "The Human Fly" and "Velcro." In the latter, they wore black Velcro hats and danced with white Velcro balls which they threw into the audience at the end of the dance -- and caught with their hats when the audience tossed the Velcro balls back on stage.

During the second act, they selected a child from the audience, Michael Darling of Apalachin, to participate on-stage. Michael's role - he got to pull down their pants! No, not what you think. At the end of a short dance, Michael was instructed to pull on a wire suspended from the ceiling. Doing so caused three pairs of jeans to drop from above. The audience laughed. Michael smiled and shrugged.

His fun wasn't over, though, as he got to participate in a second number. As he was put on the shoulders of one of the dancers, he made a circular motion with one hand (he's crazy!) and pointed down at the top of the dancer's head! The audience loved it.

The dancers finished their show with a dance called "Clackers" during which they wore sneakers with wooden spurs and kicked the boards and pie pans tied to their bottoms. The audience showed their approval with a standing ovation.

The Second Hand Dance Company was formed in 1987. The three performers met at SUNY-Binghamton where they are now artists in residence. They have performed in over 20 states and all over the world. They will be dancing First Night (December 31) in Binghamton. You can visit their web site at http://www.secondhanddance.com.

Their performance in Owego was free and sponsored by the Tioga County Council on the Arts (TCCA). If you would like information on future TCCA concerts and activities, call 687-0785.

The Second Hand Dance Company Andy Horowitz (top), Greg O'Brien (middle), and Paul Gordon (bottom) performing at the Owego Middle School on October 25, 1997.