Gerald Lynch Theater, NYC
March 13 2013

By Tara Sheena.

Rarely in ballet do I find the same smaller and more intimate showcases so prevalent to modern dance. The reasoning for this is, admittedly, unclear to me. Perhaps, the work in its grand tradition and even grander costumes, sets and live music harkens to the vast world provided by larger spaces. Perhaps it is the fact that pick-up companies are less common in the world of ballet as compared to the common freelance format of many modern dance companies. Perhaps it is that almighty elephant in the room: funding. Whatever the reason, anytime I am privileged to see a classical ballet company in a more intimate space, I jump at the chance.

This was the case on Wednesday, March 13 with Tom Gold Dance at the Gerald Lynch Theater in New York City. Mr. Gold’s troupe of nine dancers is a mixed bag of ballet artists, many of them currently dancing with New York City Ballet where Gold was a company member for 21 years. Noted for his straightforward style and comedic timing, his company’s New York season was a wonderful blend of ballet’s classicism, jazz’s rhythm and a touch of multimedia that worked to contemporize the evening.

The performance opened with Faure Fantasy, named for the composer of the work, Gabriel Faure. Dancer Gretchen Smith entered the stage first in a rose-pink tutu and took great care with the light, melodic music, which was played wonderfully live on piano by Susan Walters. Gold’s choreography is in its most classic sense in this piece: seven dancers traversed the stage in snappy piqués and briskly moving glissades. The bodies moved back and forth, revealing a soloist, then a pas de deux, then everyone en masse in a dizzying effect of fluffy, pink lightness.

Tom Gold Dance. Photo by Eugene Gologursky

Gershwin Preludes offered a much-needed theatrical break from the action. Luciana Paris and Stephen Hanna engaged in a playful duet set to an excerpt of the Gershwin Preludes. Hanna was especially captivating right from his first playful leap on to the stage; he has a boyish charm and sincerity that was completely effective. Paris was with him every step of the way—so trusting in their partnership as she effortlessly leapt toward his arms and allowed herself to put her full weight into their promenades, maintaining lightness and a pure lack of hesitation.

The centerpiece of the evening was also the least exciting piece of the performance: the world premiere of La Plage set to music by popular avant-garde composer John Zorn and made for the entire company. The video backdrop of various natural environments (first a forest then a beach scene) was largely drowned out on the vast Gerald Lynch stage. Though the musicality was most fine-tuned in this work, the bland costumes did nothing to complement the dancers’ bodies and the finale section, which harkened to a 60s beach party, seemed entirely contrived and overdramatic.

The final piece, Mad About the Boy, closed out the evening and fittingly showcased Gold’s theatrical flair. In a ballroom scene, the dancers entered the space clad in jewel-toned ballroom gowns for the women and classic tuxedos for the men, depicting a distinctly classy affair. Sara Mearns entered in a flowing black gown and engaged in a playful duet with Gold, jauntily chasing him around the stage in her coy, sly way. Her natural grace set against his nerdy charm was both heartwarming and hilarious. However, the exciting Likolani Brown stole the show as the lonely maid of the house, so precise in her steps and ever confident in her role. It was wonderful to see her fly around the stage and not miss a beat. For being portrayed as the hired help, she was, by no means, a lesser character. Brown allowed the final piece to end on the upbeat note it needed.

I appreciate Gold’s flair for the theatrical (how wonderful is it to laugh at the ballet?!), but through it all, I did not see a distinct voice that was all his own. Gold sacrificed many small vignettes in lieu of a larger, more developed work and it all lacked the innovation I was so desperately longing to see. I look forward to future performances where Gold embraces his cinematic theatricality and leaves the rest on the cutting room floor.

Photo (top): Tom Gold Dance performs Faure Fantasy. Photo by Eugene Gologursky

Korean Cultural Service, NY
January 30 2013

By Leigh Schanfein.

Only four months after assuming the role of Consul General of the Republic of Korea in New York, Se-joo Son welcomed a small but interested and intrigued crowd to the first Open Stage performance of 2013 at the Korean Cultural Service NY. We were about to see a “modern and multi-disciplinary” take on Korean dance that would be very different from the other performances produced this year by the Service, which are more traditional by the standards of Korean culture.

The performance this evening was with Yoo and Dancers, a small modern dance company led by Artistic Director and choreographer Hee Ra Yoo, who hails from South Korea. Yoo made her way to the US via Russia and Australia where she performed with companies as recognizable as The Kirov Ballet and Canberra Dance Theatre.

Though she has danced with major ballet companies, Yoo’s company has focused on exploring the modern genre with which she became engrossed though an MFA at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. Since 2009, Yoo and Dancers has presented modern dance in and around NYC, but it seems Yoo is branching out, or rather reaching back into her ballet arsenal.  For this performance, we see a somewhat multi-disciplinary take, not just in this presentation’s departure from Korean influence but also in Yoo’s crossover back into the realm of ballet.

This evening’s program includes three new works in two parts under the title of Glass Ceiling.  The opening work, Without a Net is a fairly literal expression of the title as well as Yoo’s description of Glass Ceiling – that it twists the audience’s perspective as to what is up, what is down and in what direction gravity is pulling.

Without a Net begins with two dancers traversing the stage on their sides with a string under their feet, sliding along the floor as if they are walking a tightrope, immediately establishing a new vertical. As jaunty and spry tunes tickle our ears, delightfully played live by pianist Jonathan Howard Katz, the dancers continue to use the string as a surface, walk on the wall, climb up the floor, “fall” to the wall, and nicely portray a silly story about trying to progress in this world with odd orientation, all the while gesturing liberally to let us know they are flustered but they will work together.

If the piece were to end with the duet, it would be a delightful, playful snippet successful in making the audience grin in seeing something different though not innovative. However, it continues with more dancers joining the duo on stage by “falling” from a doorway to the wall, and all using the walls as their floor to alter the definitions of up and down. Problems in execution begin to arise out of the dancers’ inequivalent strengths, which is quite apparent in this piece where the dancing is stripped of vocabulary and converted into theater with comedic gestures, mimicry and acts of physical strength. The variability in acting ability is acceptable in this small venue where we can accept the less expressive personalities because we can still make out their dull features as well as those of the dancers who exaggerate as if for a larger theater.

Yoo and Dancers

The leggy Lauren Camp emerges as a leader in the group with her clear depiction of clownish emotions that ranges from exasperation to elation within only a few moments. She also maintains throughout the kind of physical connectivity and clarity required in a floor-based work when the audience can mostly only see the dancer from above.

A highlight of Without a Net is a short break in the gesturing and crawling wherein Camp and her partner Yuki Ishiguro break into a ridiculous ground-bound pas de deux with all the bravura of the ballet spectacle, with lifts and leaps that are really splats and layouts on the floor. An almost-duel breaks out when a second couple, made by Lindsey Mandolini and Sean Hatch, counter the classical couple’s pompous process with a wall-based tango. Hip swivels and twisting legs are well seen from above as the couple battles for dominance at a 90-degree angle.

If the piece were to end there it would be a fun piece that lets the audience forget the usual overwrought dramatics of the theater and a more basic degree of dance with elementary gestures and a fun repositioning of perspective. It continues, however, with what now sums up to too much gesturing, too much crawling, and too much silly without substance. I enjoy the frivolity and theatricality of the piece but at the length it reaches, the wit turns to mush, and it goes from being a sweet treat to leaving a slightly saccharine taste in my mouth.

The second half of the program consists of two parts together titled The Unwritten. These two parts are completely different and I can’t imagine why they are coupled. Nonetheless, The Unwritten offers an alternative view of the creative starting point of choreographer Hee Ra Yoo – one that is more mature, creative and developed than the first. It is also her foray into ballet.

The first part is a group piece with five women en pointe in black ballet-gritty costumes with ribbon wrapping their legs, which mimics the red and orange-hued ribbons that adorn the walls in basic geometric shapes.

The choreography retains some of the literalism so exaggerated in Without a Net to define and bend boundaries established by the ribbons pulled from the walls and across the stage by the dancers to create a web of containment. The dancers interact with the ribbon as a barrier, a boundary they’d set for themselves. Pressing, stretching, twisting and plucking the ribbon, the dancers act both in defiance and with reluctant acceptance of their confinement. The piece develops into an exciting display of calculated movements that are precise and demanding, interlaced with frustrated flinging release embodied by thrown limbs. It becomes a thrilling combination.

The ballet would benefit greatly from a slightly different cast, one in which all members are equally and well adept at pointe work and the technical aesthetic of ballet. Mary-Elizabeth Fenn and Rebecca Walden stand out as strong, proficient dancers who convey a power and prowess over the movement and the gallery. They seem not as disturbed by the ribbon, the strength of their bodies en pointe matched by strength of character. Walden blends balletic and contemporary movement to powerful effect in a short, precise, well-structured and well-acted solo.

I am not sure at first why this segment of The Unwritten is en pointe. Why would a modern dance company create contemporary ballet? It is easy to see why Hee Ra Yoo could go in that direction with her background as a ballerina with exemplary companies around the world, but her own company has a focus on the modern genre. It leads me to take her for her word that Yoo and Dancers is without borders. After seeing a well-made contemporary ballet like this, it’s exciting to know that as a modern choreographer Yoo has successfully transferred her sensibility of movement to the pointe-clad dancer.

The second part of The Unwritten is the highlight of the evening for much of the audience: a very nicely constructed, delightful and moving duet between a curious girl and a living statue (Mary-Elizabeth Fenn and Sean Hatch). Off to the side a girl sits at the piano, turning pages but not commanding the keys. She listens to music that stirs in her a daydream that begins with a man, solitary and frozen, seemingly in the midst of movement. In her fantasy, she approaches. What does he depict? What would his movement be? Could it be a dance with her? Hee Ra Yoo’s characteristic gesturing with stylized hands and serpentine head lead the girl through her analysis of the statue that provokes him to life.

The piece itself takes on tremendous life along with the statue as he and the girl begin moving together, shifting with ease between rollicking phrases and playful partnering, describing a newfound camaraderie as if on a playground with a new friend. Things change abruptly though, and the newly-awakened statue is suddenly stopped and shunned by the girl who, without explanation, changes her mind about her playmate. We are left at a loss as to why she changes her mood or has become too mature for her playmate’s naive enthusiasm. Yoo should take more time to tell the story here. Quietly, the girl puts the statue back as he was, his wakeful consciousness rebelling and not understanding as she who awakened him returns him to his frozen state. She, regaining her staid complexion, returns to the piano bench and exits the dream.

While I would like to see this piece from a greater distance so that I cannot see the little things about the statue that are too lifelike, such as eyes that address his partner too early before he has awakened, and so that the piano could be on stage with the dancers, I enjoy this dance with my eyes and my heart and am pleased that it does not give into the cliché of its premise.

Overall, Yoo and Dancers gives its appreciative audience a diverse program with expansive dancing that speaks well for the versatility of Hee Ra Yoo in exercising both ballet and modern forms on the stage. I would like to think that Consul General Se-joo Son and the Korean Cultural Service NY find inspiration and insight in what Yoo presents using the breadth of her knowledge and background even though it avoids the trappings of Korean culture. With some talented new ballerinas along with the modern dancers in her hand, Yoo has the skill to take her company in many intriguing directions.

Find out more about Yoo and Dancers and Hee Ra Yoo as well as upcoming performances at yooanddancers.com. For more information on the Korean Cultural Service NY and Open Stage, visit koreanculture.org.

Woodruff Arts Center, 14th Street Playhouse, Atlanta, GA
January 18 2013

By Chelsea Thomas.

Atlanta’s Dance Canvas, a respected platform for emerging choreographers, presented its fifth anniversary showcase in mid-January. This Dance Canvas presented the work of nearly ten choreographers and debuted a half a dozen world premieres of various themes and styles, including contemporary dance, tap and ballet.

With both playful and heart-wrenching works, as well as poised and powerful, technical pieces, Dance Canvas’ show offered diverse performances with something for everyone.

Kicking off the evening was Awakening, choreographed by Tracy Vogt, a former dancer with Philadanco who presented Between the Worlds last season. In contrast with her previous work, Awakening was fierce with high-energy jumps, powerful lifts and heavy falls. Unlike last season’s affectionate duet and chorus of breathy lifts and lengthy arabesques, Awakening was focused on no specific dancer and was extremely angular, with arms slicing through the air, torsos clinched in swift turns and legs being thrust into empty space.

Yet, perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the work was not the highly demanding choreography or the momentum and focus it required, but the thematic elements it infused through a voice-over questioning humanity’s relationship with time. It asked if given the opportunity, would a person look into the past or the future, their memories or someone else’s. The dancers’ physical responses to these questions were fascinating – driving themselves hard and fast into the ground, into the air or into each other. If somewhat vague in her intentions, Vogt still succeeded in giving viewers a work to ponder once the lights went out.

Dancers performing in Tracy Vogt’s ‘Awakening’ at Dance Canvas’ Fifth Annual Showcase in Atlanta. Photo by Richard Calmes.

Another equally curious work was Enlightenment, choreographed by New Orleans-native Tianna Pourciau Sykes, who is currently on the faculty for Dance Canvas’ programs ARTSCool and Culture Club. The contemporary quartet, built mostly on soft arms and light movements, centered on the idea of knowledge and learning. Dancers would take turns sitting in a chair and reading a book under a lamp before springing forth with new ambition and energy. The overall concept, while universally understood, could have been challenged or deepened. It felt like the work hit a plateau and the un-succinct music mix added to a feeling of disjointedness.

One of the highlights of the night was a surprising duet between dancers Laila Howard and Tre McClendon in Worlds Apart, choreographed by tap dancer Vanessa Chisolm and hip-hop dancer Rachel Kingston. It focused on the issue of homeless in inner city Atlanta, where it is reported that on any given night there are at least 7,000 homeless people seeking shelter and support, according to the 2009 Metro Atlanta Tri-Jurisdictional Collaborative Homeless Census.

In Worlds Apart, Howard and McClendon were just that – outwardly worlds apart. Howard, representing the homeless, was outfitted in rags with her hair in shambles, while McClendon, posed as a modern businessman, was dressed in a fitted suit and nice (tap) shoes. As McClendon played and talked on his cell phone, Howard writhed in destitution as the back screen lit up with real film footage of the homeless in Atlanta. Howard expressed her hopelessness with sporadic, frustrated jumps and by flinging herself at McClendon, who would push her off before segueing into impressive tap solos. In the end, McClendon gave his jacket to her but left without so much as looking back, making a poignant statement on the upper classes’ sometimes lack of compassion in Atlanta.

Dancers performing ‘Winergy’ by Zachery Richardson, a Kennesaw State University student, at Dance Canvas. Photo by Richard Calmes.

Another work that stood out from the rest was Winergy by Zachery Richardson, a Kennesaw State University student whose piece was selected through the university’s choreographic partnership with Dance Canvas. Winergy, set to club-like, electronic beats, pumped out lively, abstract movement consisting of jerky shoulder movements, subtle, humorous gestures and grounded bouncing. The seven dancers wore electric-blue wigs, which they pointedly shook, making this viewer think the piece was about the movement hair makes when put under a blow-dryer.

Angela Harris, Director of Dance Canvas, choreographed a work for the showcase. Muses of Form, presented in part by the City of Atlanta’s Office of Cultural Affairs Emerging Artist Award program, was inspired by Harris’ time at the Louvre in Paris. Set on six ballet dancers, the choreography featured statuesque poses, graceful solos and a touch of Greek elegance. Although the work was somewhat predictable, it had a lovely flow that captured the audience’s full attention.

The last notable work of the evening was (con)version, choreographed by Kassandra Taylor Newberry. Reflecting liberation from society or some lifestyle choice, dancers would sporadically stop mid-movement and take off their socks, which were symbolically representative of their alignment to the norm. Although the work was a large ensemble piece, Newberry succeeded in giving the dancers freedom to move as individuals and trios. Her movement style is a pleasure to watch as it blends undeniable technique and form with sharp, decisive steps.

If Dance Canvas’ fifth annual showcase is a testimony to what the next five years will look like, it’s safe to say Atlanta’s young and upcoming dancers are in good hands. The organization clearly recognizes great potential and talent while respecting the art form’s beautiful choreographic diversity.

Photo (top): Angela Harris’ Muses of Form being performed at Dance Canvas’ Fifth Annual Showcase. Photo by Richard Calmes.

7 Stages Theatre, Atlanta, GA
January 19 2013

By Chelsea Thomas.

With unabashed bravery and undeniable passion, Full Radius Dance recently presented the world premieres of Artistic Director Douglas Scott’s Dames and Delinquents and Touch, as well as Lori Teague’s There is No Such Thing as Mistakes, in Atlanta’s intimate 7 Stages Theatre.

Full Radius, marketed as “a physically integrated modern dance company,” is a solid and inspiring movement ensemble made up of dancers both in and out of wheelchairs. Founded in 1995, the company is known both locally and internationally for its inclusive and forward-thinking nature. So, I guess one shouldn’t have been surprised at the emotional depth and breadth of what they presented in January – and still, even when one expects the best it is always a pleasant surprise when the expectation is met.

Full Radius’ recent concert began with Dames and Delinquents, a work Scott described pre-show as being inspired by disenfranchised teenagers caught between normalcy and rebellion during the postwar era. Set to a score of early rock-and-roll songs (pre-Elvis Presley), the work was quirky, cutesy and retrospective, using hand games and flirty duets to allude to the teenagers’ inexperience and childishness while jaunty looks and aggressive gestures signaled their misfit status and conflicting desires.

At one point, after a charming group spree, the dancers rushed to the back wall of the stage and acted as if they were being arrested, with hands on the wall and heads hung down, while spotlights were pointed at them. They slowly turned to each side as if getting their mug shots taken. This moment excellently summarized the conflicting feelings these teens had – at once they felt both numb and fully alive, frozen in a post-modern societal daze and buzzing with attitude and spunk.

The overall mood of the work succeeded in conveying the teens’ driving camaraderie, which served as both a reassurance and a point of struggle in a time when they desperately desired freedom and distinct individuality.

The second work of the evening was Lori Teague’s There is No Such Thing as Mistakes. Teague, director of Emory University’s dance program, crafted this electric and sobering work through numerous improvisational rehearsals with the dancers. She said in an opening statement that the work was meant to challenge the dancers and identify the risk-takers, while creating a collage of ideas and contemporary movement.

The work opened with the entire ensemble on stage with two of the wheelchair-based dancers on the ground without their chairs, which undoubtedly surprised viewers. As the music started and the soft stage lights lit up their frames, the dancers reached their arms forward before suddenly using one of their hands to pull the other back, almost as if they were touching something that they weren’t meant to.

Full Radius Dance performs Artistic Director Douglas Scott’s ‘Touch’. Photo by AMN Photography.

Themes of darkness, chaos and communication presented themselves through company member Marshall Hamilton’s reciting of the poem “A Ritual to Read to Each Other” by William Stafford. Hamilton, who is typically in a wheelchair, unexpectedly walked onto the stage before delivering the poem. The last stanza started saying, “For it is important that awake people be awake” before concluding that “the darkness around us is deep.” This section of the poem seemed to guide the work.

One standout moment in Teague’s work was when the dancers began to whirl, whip and fall into the ground with such force and abandon that I began to fear they may hurt each other. Dancer Samir Jusupovic would throw his arm laterally before diving his wheelchair and himself into the floor. Later, he would flip himself forward, in the process overturning his wheelchair, with aggression on the border of violence. This excellently captured an existential angst.

The ending scene was beautifully fraught with symbolism as three dancers walked slowly, intensely forward while the four dancers in wheelchairs weaved and rolled chaotically and precariously without direction through them, at times almost colliding. This was the last image as the dim lights faded out. It seemed to suggest that people can and do move through life often without awareness of one another, almost colliding into death and darkness. Stafford’s poem warned of this as well, stating: “Though we could fool each other, we should consider-lest the parade of our mutual life get lost in the dark.”

Lastly, on another note entirely, Scott’s three-part Touch premiered. This was by far the most memorable work of the evening. The topic unquestionably applied to everyone in the room, as it had to do with the science, emotion and memory of physical touch. Secondly, it was alive and teeming with heightened feelings and sentimentality.

Scott led into the work by sneakily introducing the areas of the body most sensitive to touch, including the face, neck, feet and fingers. He brought the dancers onstage in white lab coats and introduced these areas with a technical, gestural dance. Then, without warning, the work fell into a genius duet performed by new company member Shawn Evangelista and veteran Laurel Lawson.

Lawson, who is in a wheelchair, touched Shawn with a practical, scientific probing, emphasizing the areas previously pointed out. Creatively, Scott’s choreography utilized a simple metal foldout chair as a prop to separate their bodies, always keeping them disconnected and divorced while still applying pressure to each other’s limbs and body parts. One moment in particular resonated with me as Evangelista slid the open chair over his torso onto Lawson’s, which he then put his weight onto before flinging himself off.

The scientific duet turned intimate, loving and gentle after two company members came onto the stage to take away the chair and strip them of their outer garments, leaving the two naked except for a tight blue unitard. Evangelista and Lawson excelled in their curious, loving roles, exemplifying warm affection, tenderness and vulnerability. At one poignant instance, Evangelista laid across her lap in a low hinge while she stroked his face. A duet between Jusupovic and newcomer Renee Beneteau immediately following this portrayed the other emotional aspect of touch – aggression. The two, dressed in red unitards and shoulder pads, hostilely dropped, tossed and pushed one another where Evangelista and Lawson had just gently caressed and patted.

There were many superb and breathtaking moments in the final section of Touch, focusing on memory and the graceful form of dancer Julie Holcomb. She sweetly and weightlessly moved from relationship-to-relationship, beginning with an endearing and moving duet with Marshall Hamilton at the front of the stage. She is a gorgeous, lithe dancer with a generous vulnerability and heartfelt quality.

Exemplified throughout this show was the truly wonderful and unique aspect of Full Radius Dance – the company’s ability to make the viewer forget that the wheelchairs exist. When watching the dancers move and flow over and throughout the stage viewers soon forget the spinning wheels, the sudden stops and the somewhat noisy slams as the metal hits the ground.  Rather, the originally heavy and awkward-looking pieces of equipment become a part of the dancers’ bodies.

For those viewers who are not in interaction with wheelchair-bound individuals on a frequent basis, this mental evolution is delightful. This company and its director Douglas Scott are a true gift to the Atlanta community. Their bravery, innovation and creativity offer something irreplaceable to the region’s art scene.

Photo (top): Full Radius Dance performs Artistic Director Douglas Scott’s ‘Touch’. Photo by AMN Photography. 

The Academy Theatre, Avondale Estates, GA
Sunday November 11 2012

By Chelsea Thomas.

On a Sunday afternoon in a small theater outside Atlanta, the new City Gate Dance Theater Company debuted its four-member ensemble with a dramatic, heartfelt evening of contemporary and lyrical ballet.

The company was founded in January 2011 by the husband-and-wife duo Robert E. and Jennifer L. Mason. Seeking to combine “performing and visual arts, dance theater and cinema into one stimulating and timeless event,” the pair pulls from their individual backgrounds in theater and modern dance.

Holding a B.F.A. in dance from Florida State University, Jennifer L. Mason is a triple threat in the dance world: muscular, flexible and graceful. With an inclination towards drama and a knack for breathtaking extensions, she also calls upon her training with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater with Lester Horton-inspired movement.

City Gate Dance Theater Company of Atlanta presents ‘Just Be’. Photos by Richard Calmes.

Before marrying Robert and founding the company, Jennifer danced with Urban Ballet Theater, Dance Iquail and Surfscape Contemporary Dance Theater. She has also been a guest artist for local Ballethnic Dance Company and a soloist for UniverSoul Circus. While she is relatively new to choreography, it appears she takes no dreams captive.

Her husband Robert E. Mason brings a dramatic, theatrical flair to the close-knit outfit. Also sharing instruction under Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, he mostly received formal training with Atlanta Ballet. Recently, he was a member of New York’s Amalgamate Dance Company and he has toured with the cast of Oprah Winfrey’s National Tour of The Color Purple.

The couple’s company is clearly their love child, making evident his theater experience and her contemporary balletic style. Opening the show, the couple performed a short, yet extremely intense pas de deux.

Set to the music of Carmina Burana, the work Bold was certainly just that. Fusing solemn expressions with many jumps, lifts and tricks, the Masons exhibited their clear trust in one another. Unfortunately, the small stage size limited their ability to feel and dig into the work. The space constrictions left the piece feeling restricted and somewhat jilted. This attendee is left wondering how Bold might have appeared in a larger venue.

Yet, for all the constraint evident in Bold, the next work, perhaps the most natural and seamless of the evening, Transformed, held a graceful, freeing sensitivity. Even though more dancers filled the stage, audience members forgot about the small space and were allured into the vulnerable, aching movements.

Perhaps the most memorable image is that of the dancers pulling upon their loose dresses’ soft fabric, almost Martha Graham-esque. When pulling the thin fabric from their bodies their hips would jut out to the opposite direction and their heads would fall back, portraying a deep, burning desire to be liberated of the dresses’ emotional bondage.

Although the meaning was left broad and undefined, Transformed still accomplished an intimate rendering of the classic redemption story – women struggling, women triumphing. In the end, the dancers removed their dresses, representing their burdens, and welcomed life free of guilt and pain. If City Gate Dance focuses on this work’s vulnerability and its soft, organic storytelling, they will have a successful, relevant company that will make it through the rough economy.

Next on the bill was Loved, a humorous, albeit strange, duet. Regine Mayter, an experienced modern dancer hailing from Haiti, joined Robert for a back-and-forth love affair that first introduced him as a drifter and then as a desperate lover. Set to a montage of various love songs, the three-part work climaxed with Mason’s dramatic, gesture-heavy pleas for Mayter to come back to him. At its worse it was playing the border of interpretive dance as Mason cried and plunged to the floor with the lyrics, yet at its best, the work gave the show passion and the audience a good chuckle.

The last two works of the evening were contextually confusing, one vague and bewildering, and the other somewhat unrelated. However, the Masons managed to pull them into the broad theme of Just Be with heart and candor.

The work Fearless came first, with a contradictory and ominous underlying subtitle of “broken hearts” in the bulletin. At first introducing the recently-transformed women dancers as confident and reaching for the stars, the piece took an unexpected turn with odd adulterous sentiments and manipulative ties. While the movement was strong with smooth transitions, the context distracted from the evening’s larger tone.

The shows final piece, Healed, was a reworked dance originally performed at Atlanta-based Dance Canvas’ fourth annual showcase in January 2012. Interestingly enough, Healed resulted in death when the protagonist passes away from breast cancer. It was a touching, yet an unusual choice for ending the company’s debut performance. At once it exhibited the company’s strengths – lyrical, tender movement with strong extensions – and it’s weaknesses – the tendency to push too far for the theatrical and the predictable.

All in all, keep an eye on this company. The Masons have drive and passion that may mold and breakthrough with the times.

Dance Informa’s Tara Sheena spoke with acclaimed Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater dancer and choreographer Troy Powell in late September as he was about to embark on his first season as Artistic Director of Ailey II. Powell spoke about his past influences, the exciting new repertory for this season, and what he hopes to accomplish in his new role.

Congratulations on your first season as Artistic Director of Ailey II. Is it a lot different than your previous position as Associate Artistic Director?

Actually, no, because I have been working with [former Ailey II Artistic Director] Sylvia Waters for the past several years as the designated Associate Artistic Director, choreographer, and teacher. I think the main thing is the fact that I am not as involved in the studio as much as I’d like to be. That’s my passion. There’s a lot of administrative stuff to do. Nothing has drastically changed though. Not yet, at least. I was very well groomed by Sylvia Waters, Judith Jamison and even Alvin Ailey, who I met and worked with as well. Let me just say ‘it’s all in the pocket’. They [Waters, Jamison and Ailey] really set a precedent in making sure [to groom] the next generations for positions like this. For me, the road map is clear. Of course, there are going to be some challenges, which I am up for. We’ve got seven new dancers this year.  With me being new, my rehearsal director being new, and a new crew, this year’s all about new. That along with a lot of the traditional stuff in the repertory makes a great balance and a great combination.

Sylvia Waters and Troy Powell. Photo Eduardo Patino

This combination of the old and the new is clear this season. I see the ‘new’ in the three new commissions you have this season: Benoit Swan-Pouffer, Amy Hall Garner, and Malcolm Low.

I picked those three choreographers because they are totally different choreographers. They come from different backgrounds, from different cultures, they have a different style, they use different music and have different movement qualities. I wanted to really challenge the dancers in a different way by bringing in each of those choreographers.

I had really been influenced by Amy Hall in the way she worked – her process. She really, really digs into the dancers. Her piece is about energy and consistency. It’s very vibrant, it’s very bright and it’s very fast.

I brought Benoit Swan-Pouffer in because he’s a much more seasoned choreographer who has a company – Cedar Lake Ballet. I wanted the dancers to work with someone of that status. Not just so they can be seen by him, but I wanted them to work with a choreographer who was going to dig into them and get these dancers to start working more on a professional quota. He brought the energy of how he works with his company to the dancers of Ailey II.

Ailey II dancers with Artistic Director Troy Powell and Rehearsal Director Alia Kache. Photo by Eduardo Patino.

Malcolm Low comes from a postmodern background. You know, there’s really no postmodern anymore. That kind of died out. So, now the dancers are training, training, training to get their ability, their technique and their physicality but Low’s movement is totally relaxed and thrown with feet not pointed. It’s vulnerable, yet powerful, in a way.

You’ve been a part of the Ailey family forever. Were there any big takeaways from your years in the Ailey company that you brought to your role as director?

Definitely. I have watched my mentors so closely: how they taught and what they said. It’s funny because when I stopped dancing and started working with Ailey II, I was a choreographer and I began to see what was on the other side of the table. I guess it seemed natural because I just loved to give back and I was very passionate about the next generation and about giving them the same type of nurturing and grooming that I got as a dancer. I remember Alvin Ailey saying, “You are the next generation.” He really, really [emphasized] the fact that we were human beings before we were dancers and we were expressing ourselves through what we were experiencing and going through as individuals. That is what I want to bring to the table.

Troy Powell leads class for Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls students. Photo by Joe Epstein.

Did you know that you wanted to be on the other side of things as a director?

It kind of happened naturally. I didn’t think I was ever going to be the Artistic Director of Ailey II. As dancers and choreographers we think to ourselves, “Oh, I love teaching. I love choreographing. It would be great to have my own company.” You know? You think it’d be great but I just never thought that it would happen. It’s hit me so much harder now because I look back on my past and I think how far I’ve come, how hard I’ve worked and how passionate I have been, and I am very blessed. I am very honored to be in this position. I still feel passionate. I am not drained, I am not too busy, it’s not too crazy, and it’s not going to get that way. I want to stay at a pace where it’s easy and stress-free and we are all enjoying it, we are all having fun, and we are all passionate about it.

Is the company doing any of your work this season? Or, do you have future plans to choreograph on the company?

I definitely have plans. They are not doing my work this season but they did my work last season and I definitely have plans to choreograph or even bring stuff back that I have done in the past.

What’s your vision for Ailey II?

I definitely want the company to evolve in a way that it’s not just a second company. I want to work more on a professional level, so that’s why I am challenging the dancers with bringing different choreographers in, as well as doing a lot of traveling and bringing in rep that I danced – rep that Mr Ailey choreographed. I am bringing in those traditional works because those are the ones that made me grow as an artist. I want these dancers to be able to grow in a way where when they leave Ailey II, there’s no question that they’ve received two years of grooming and training in the most professional way.

Keep up with Ailey II on the road this season at  www.alvinailey.org/aileyiitour

Top photo: Ailey II’s Troy Powell. Photo by Eduardo Patino

By Rebecca Martin

Eifman Ballet is arguably Russia’s most exciting modern ballet company. The company’s namesake, director and choreographer, Boris Eifman, is considered the face of modern dance in Russia. His company comprises young, slim, and acrobatic dancers that are tall with long limbs – the minimum height for females is 174cm and males is 185cm.

The company’s only non-Russian dancer is America’s Amber Miller, who has trained with Ellison Ballet’s Professional Training Program in New York City and won first place in both contemporary and classical categories at the Youth America Grand Prix.  She was also featured on the web series Dance 212 which followed Amber’s training and life prior to her appointment with Eifman Ballet.

Dance Informa managed to catch Amber during her vacation before getting stuck into rehearsals for an international tour…

You turned down a contract with Houston Ballet in the US to join Eifman Ballet.  What was it about Eifman Ballet that enticed you?

Deciding to turn down Houston Ballet and join Eifman Ballet was a difficult decision for me. Houston Ballet is such an amazing company with many talented dancers and is extremely close to my home in Dallas. I never, in a million years, thought I would have the chance to go to Russia, let alone dance in a Russian company. So, when I was offered the contract from Eifman Ballet, I felt I couldn’t turn it down. Boris Eifman is such an imaginative choreographer and all of his ballets are so different from anything else out there. Getting the chance to be a part of the Eifman Ballet company and perform throughout the world at many of the great theatres has been an incredible experience!

Amber Miller of Eifman Ballet. Photo by Rachel Neville

What professional/dance challenges have you encountered since joining Eifman Ballet?

I went to school at Ellison Ballet in New York City and we mainly focused on pure classical ballet. Edward Ellison, the owner and Director of Ellison Ballet, does a tremendous job with pre-professional dancers and he gave me the skills necessary to dance professionally. Coming to Eifman Ballet was a little difficult at first because it is mainly contemporary, so I had to learn how to loosen up and use my technique in a different way while learning a completely new style. I also had to step in for a few performances when someone became sick or injured. While on tour in Berlin, I actually found out an hour before the show that I had to dance for a girl who had gotten sick! All of the dancers really helped me. During intermission we actually rehearsed the second act so I would know exactly where to go. It was definitely a stressful, but extremely gratifying experience.

What personal challenges have you faced?

I have experienced some personal challenges since moving to Russia. This was my first year away from home, so getting used to living without my family was definitely difficult at first. Thank the Lord for Skype and Facebook! It was also extremely challenging when I first moved because I did not know any Russian at all. Luckily, all the dancers are really nice and have helped me so much to learn the language and to help me get around St. Petersburg.

Tell us some highlights of working with such a wonderful company.

I have always wanted to travel and see the world. With Eifman Ballet, I have been able to do that. I’m still amazed at all the wonderful places we get to travel to and the beautiful theatres we get to perform in. Another major highlight is getting the chance to work with Boris Eifman. Watching him create new ballets is such an incredible experience and I am constantly amazed with the choreography and ideas he is able to produce.

What interesting cultural differences have you encountered?

Before moving to Russia, I was expecting everything to be completely different from the United States. Apart from the language, things are not all that different. There are a lot of restaurants, stores, malls, etc that are the same as in the United States. I spend my free time with friends doing mostly what I did in the States…eating, shopping, and enjoying time together.

Are you more Odette or Odile?

I am definitely more of an Odette. I’m a shy and quiet person most of the time, especially when I first meet someone.

Photos by Rachel Neville

Ailey Citigroup Theater, The Joan Weill Center for Dance NYC
April 2012

By Deborah Searle

This April, Ailey II presented a mixed bill of modern and contemporary dance works for 11 nights at the Ailey Citigroup Theater. Audiences could choose from two programs, either Modern Moves or Contemporary Choices.  On the evening on April 19 we were treated to the contemporary program which featured three distinct works; The Corner (2010) by Kyle Abraham, The Legacy of Inheritance (2011) by Stefanie Batten Bland  and Shards (1988) by Donald Byrd. Each work was very different and showed the varying strengths of the company’s young dancers who are all students in Ailey’s professional dance courses.

The Corner surprised me as it had a strong street dance and hip hop flavor, as opposed to the modern dance usually displayed by Ailey dancers. It included spoken word, characterization and much fun and frivolity as the dancers became friends hanging out on what I envisioned as a street corner. It involved moments of humor, games and comradery as the dancers grooved in colorful, casual costumes. The soundtrack was a mixture of popular music and classical with funky, jazzy choreography and some slower, softer more lyrical moments.  An upbeat group number at the end was entertaining. The stand out dancer for this work was Elizabeth Washington who seemed to embody her own personal groove and really suited the choreography. The other dancers, although they all executed the steps well, didn’t always embody the theme and style as Washington did.

The Legacy of Inheritance which followed was starkly different from the first work. It was much more raw and contemporary. In the intermission we could see fog being dispersed across the stage as well as a huge piece of white, light material. This intrigued me, as I wondered how the dancers were going to work with such a huge prop. To begin, the cast of dancers picked up the white material and wrapped themselves up in it as they slowly swayed. It was eerie but intoxicating. Although the movements were simple, the manipulation of the cloth, the way the light hit it, and the dancers’ commitment to creating interesting shapes were rapturing.  A swimming-like scene where the dancers in lines seemed to swim on the ground in different directions was mesmerizing and unique partnering scenes involved inventive lifts and lines.  Stefanie Batten Bland’s work was very interesting and it showed the dancers’ technical strengths as well as their ability to work with what could have been an overpowering prop. I thoroughly enjoyed this work. Thomas Varvaro in his first season with Ailey II was delightful to watch. He finished every movement and danced with clarity and ease.

Lastly, Shards by Donald Byrd was different again. We were hooked from the first second as the company started in a group center stage, in the spotlight. With the dancers all in royal blue, the bright costumes coupled the bright choreography perfectly. At times the music was very dramatic and the dancing matched. The dancers were able to perform simple port de bra with such dynamics to fill out the strong music and keep us entertained.  The choreography was quite balletic and demanding. It involved much batterie, battements to second, penchée on relevé and some flinging but controlled movement.  A pas de deux by dancers Fana Tesfagiorgis and Colin Heyward showed Fana’s flexibility and strength. A solo by her later in the program cemented her as a stunning dancer.  Anne O’Donnell, in her first year with Ailey II, was stunning in this work. She has lovely lines and strong ballet training.

Contemporary Choices by Ailey II was a dynamic program that showed the young dancers’ versatility. It is wonderful to see these budding young stars have the opportunity to present such works to a large and appreciative audience.

Top photo: Fana Tesfagiorgis in Troy Powell’s Reference Point. Photo by Eduardo Patino, NYC.

Published by Dance Informa digital dance magazine – dance news, dance auditions & dance events for the professional dancer, dance teacher and dance students.

Joyce Theater, New York
March 16 2012

By Stephanie Wolf.

The crème de la crème of New York’s modern dance scene gathered on Friday night to pay tribute to one of modern dance’s most prominent figures as the Martha Graham Dance Company took center stage at the one and only Joyce Theater. It was an evening of drama and dancing, as only Graham herself could envision it. The performance acknowledged the company’s rich history, while welcoming its bright future.

Before the dancers entered the stage, the audience was treated to Beautiful Captives, a video montage by Peter Sparling. It was an endearing multimedia collage with snippets of Graham and cinematic dancing, which appropriately set the mood for the evening. The old-timey ambiance was then greatly juxtaposed by the primitive solo Witch Dance, featuring the choreography of another great modern dance pioneer – Mary Wigman.

Once the audience had fully digested these dancing ‘hors d’oeuvres’ the evening progressed into the more iconic work of the Graham Company, starting off with Graham’s 1939 exploration of a foolish woman’s psyche titled Every Soul is a Circus. Graham’s flair for over the top drama, complicated storylines, and intriguing costumes is not for everyone. And, perhaps, Every Soul is a Circus’s conceptual dialogue goes on a bit too long. But what Graham does show in these early works is how ahead of her time she was, as a choreographer and conversationalist. She tackled complicated storylines, which typically featured a female as the lead character, and created work that was truly original and forced her audience to think and feel.

From a woman’s muddled thoughts in the big ring, the evening took a darker turn with Lamentation Variations. The work is an inspired concept and proved to be a true testament to Graham’s significance in the future of modern dance. Based on Graham’s iconic solo Lamentations, the company commissioned seven current choreographers to create new “variations”. Friday night featured the variations of Azure Barton, Richard Move, and Lar Lubovitch. Each choreographer brought a new and stunning interpretation of Graham’s solo about a grieving woman.

It’s difficult to name a standout from the three because they all highlighted different aspects of the work. Barton created a moving duet for two ladies, which was danced sublimely by company members Miki Orihara and Mariya Daskina Maddux. She focused on the anguish, having the dancers use every fiber of their being to portray the grief. Move chose to keep the piece a solo and created an engaging number on Katherine Crockett – whose superhero strength and extensions hypnotized the audience, as she steadily made her way across the stage towards a bright light. Utilizing the entire company, Lubovitch’s rendition closed out the series of variations and played on Graham’s use of timing and unique costuming.

What better way to close out a night that pays homage to Graham, than featuring her 1947 Night Journey? The work highlights the infamous story of King Oedipus and his tragic prophecy. However, rather than focusing on Oedipus’s demise, Graham placed the emphasis of the ballet on his wife/mother/queen Jocasta; once again making the central figure a woman. Carrie Ellmore-Tallitsch was a wonderful Jocasta, embodying the drama in her every move and facial expression. And Blakeley White-McGuire led the Daughters of the Night with unrivaled strength and confidence. All the dancers performed exceptionally and Night Journey was a perfect representation of why Graham’s choreography and technique still has relevance in today’s society.

All and all, it was a great evening to be out and about, experiencing some of New York City’s finest in dance. Additionally, it’s reassuring to know that dancers, choreographers, and directors will never forget where they came from and who inspired them to pursue this difficult profession. But, at the same time, they all look towards the future of dance and greet its possibilities with open arms.

Published by Dance Informa digital dance magazine – dance news, dance auditions & dance events for the professional dancer, dance teacher and dance students.

Joyce Theater, New York
February 8-12, 2012

By Laura Di Orio.

During its New York debut, Cloud Gate 2, a Taiwanese modern dance company, presented at The Joyce an evening of five works by four choreographers and provided a glimpse into the emotional and physical range for which this company has the capacity.

The group, despite being called “number 2”, is not second to Cloud Gate Dance Theatre; rather, it is its own entity, one that prides itself on creating substantial works by a number of young Taiwanese choreographers. Both Cloud Gate and Cloud Gate 2 are directed by Lin Hwai-min, and while Cloud Gate performs mainly his works, Cloud Gate 2 is a springboard for newer creative voices, but is definitely just as strong.

During their four-performance run at The Joyce this February, the troupe seemed to fuse dance theater and pure dance phrases, along with interesting musical choices and standout lighting. Cloud Gate 2 seems to not be a company of hierarchy. Each dancer had his/her own individual voice, and the group as a whole was nothing less than connected.

The mixed program began with “Wicked Fish”, choreographed by Huang Yi, who also danced in the piece. It opened with a string of dancers across the stage, with overhead lights casting down on the dancers, dressed in blues and grays, and shrill music that at first seemed obtrusive. Within just a few moments it was apparent that these dancers were extremely well-rehearsed – their movements so in sync and their bodies moving in a most aesthetically-pleasing wave.

Cloud Gate 2 in Huang Yi's "Ta-Ta For Now". Photo: Liu Chen-hsiang

At one moment, only knobby body parts like elbows and knees could be seen under the lights. At the next, the group moved in canon and in slow motion, and then they’d quickly rewind. A series of duets – boy and girl, boy and boy, girl and girl – graced the stage. The couples’ bodies seemed to never depart contact through the slides and around-the-body lifts. The dancers were so athletic, so committed, but the best part of “Wicked Fish” was that the movement was so beautiful and fluid that we almost forgot about how piercing the music was overhead.

Next was Wu Kuo-chu’s “Tantalus”, which opened with six dancers in pedestrian clothes standing hunched over, eyes out to the audience under a square of light. They remained still for a long, long moment. Then one dancer stirred, out of discomfort, and then the whole group was awoken. One by one, an individual’s movement became contagious through the group, which was only brought back to neutral with long, loud breath patterns.

After several minutes of only sounds of claps, breaths, sighs and foot stomps, we welcomed the music of Meredith Monk, a storyteller herself. The piece became funny and human in that we recognized that we, as people, exhaust ourselves, constantly running and not getting far enough or even fighting with the air.

“Passage”, choreographed by Bulareyaung Pagarlava, pinnacled the evening in showcasing Cloud Gate 2 as a group with a strong dance theater element. A pretty girl was unwillingly clothed in different dresses and fabrics by four characters who seemed to be her caregivers. The girl was distracted, seemingly possessed, longing for something beyond her room. Meanwhile, a strong presence – a figure covered from head to toe in white – slowly strode around the scene, as he carried a large umbrella and wheeled a black suitcase beside him.

One by one, each character stripped off their black coat and danced in a powerful fit, as if they, too, had become possessed. Towards the end, clouds of white powder were thrown to the sky, creating a most strikingly beautiful image, and the dancers lay under a white sheet, where the girl had preceded them.

In Huang Yi’s second piece on the program, the quirky “Ta-Ta For Now”, was like a day at the office without the boss. The dancers, wearing office clothes, spun on, climbed over and stacked desk chairs. They interacted with each other, passing along imaginary objects, making finger people and even throwing their shoes. Despite its apparent light feel, the piece involved such incredible precision. There were times of amazing body response to the music as the tale was told via the violin in Aram Khachaturian’s Violin Concerto in D minor.

Cheng Tsung-lung’s “The Wall” closed the program. The dancers, all in black, began by walking the perimeter of the stage, creating some kind of wall, encasing themselves in a world of their own. Again, one by one, the dancers broke the mold, stripped their black and burst into their dance, nearly naked but so sure of their decision.

“The Wall” displayed the company as incredible movers, and some of Tsung-lung’s phrases appeared to have the feel of hip hop’s body isolations. At the end, one figure, who remained in black, walked into the field of what may have been mistaken as “chaos” but was surely just the temptation of the freedom of dance. Will he, too, be tempted?

During much of the evening, it was sometimes hard to tell the dancers apart. Aside from the choreographed moments of staring out into the house, their dancing was so internal as a whole, as if they were one body, each dancer just a different limb and one expression of a larger voice. And their bows were so gracious, their eyes almost in awestruck of what sat before them.

Cloud Gate 2’s engagement at The Joyce was one of such interesting, engaging work. It wasn’t dance for the sake of dance; rather, it was movement for the sake of saying something, and each of these young artists seems to have something profound to say.

Top photo: Cloud Gate 2 in Bulareyaung Pagarlava’s “Passage”. Photo by Liu Chen-hsiang

Published by Dance Informa dance magazine – dance news, dance auditions & events.