Dance - The sound of movement

Balloonjarrattledrums, Orbacles and the Rumitone might sound like titles of lost Dr. Seuss books, but they’re all actually part of the vernacular of Lelavision, a genre-spanning dance and musical group performing in Atlanta this weekend.

A sort of Stomp meets Pilobolus, Lelavision mixes whimsical sculpture and carefully choreographed musical performance for an oversized and otherworldly theatrical experience. In its new show, Banging Bamboozles, founders Ela Lamblin and Leah Mann employ props ranging from the Rumitone, a lotus-shaped configuration of tubular bells, to Orbacles, large steel spheres played from inside and out. One segment of the all-ages show, “Play with Your Food,” transforms vegetables into wind instruments, while another situates the three performers (Lamblin, Mann and Sky Darwin) along a 25-foot long harp.

Lelavision’s bizarre affiliation of audio and visual artistry makes it somewhat hard to classify. “Cirque du Soleil comes to mind because of its fantasticalness,” says Lamblin, “but there’s not really anyone doing exactly what we do. We decided that it’s a new genre we call ‘physical music.’ The choreography arises from the playing of the instrument, and then we choreograph the movement so that the melodies and rhythms correspond to the movements of the body for a visual representation of the music.”

The Atlanta premiere of Banging Bamboozles, co-produced by 7 Stages and Dancer’s Collective, is a homecoming for both Lelavision founders. Lamblin graduated from the Atlanta College of Art with a bachelor’s degree in sculpture in 1993. Mann, a Georgia native and founder of the urban dance ensemble Moving in the Spirit, founded Lelavision with Lamblin in 1996. The six-member Seattle-based troupe has performed around the world, most recently winning a Critics’ Choice Award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Lelavision presents Banging Bamboozles at 7 Stages, 1105 Euclid Ave., Fri., Nov. 23, and Sat., Nov. 24, at 8 p.m., and Sun., Nov. 25, at 5 p.m. $20. 404-523-7647. ??