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Flash Review 1, 7-12: Chamber Champ
Stellar Dancing Gives Coburn-Bruning the Ring
By Susan Yung
Copyright 2001 Susan Yung
The idea of chamber ballet is so
appealing at first blush: To sit in a cozy theater, within shouting distance of
the dancers, who perform small-scaled works. It becomes even more appealing when
you add a group of dancers who are technically superb and can act, to boot. The
Chamber Dance Project, under the direction of Diane Coburn-Bruning, comes as close
to fulfilling these expectations as I've seen in chamber ballet. CDP’s debut program
at the Theresa Lang Theatre of Marymount College(seen June 29) was a pleasing
mix of dances by Stanton Welch and Coburn-Bruning, who contributed premieres,
and one by Ann Carlson, with musical interludes by the chamber ensemble which
accompanied all the dances. And yet, despite the program's success, I still felt
a tinge of frustration, directed more at the genre than anything else.
Stanton Welch, resident choreographer
of the Australian Ballet, choreographed "Kisses," for seven dancers to Debussy
preludes. The work had an elemental undertone, evoking Graham vocabulary in deep
plies in second and human cruciforms, with an occasional pealing church bell adding
a puritanical note. The dancers projected their acting as if they were in a far
bigger house, but a simple repeated pose where one dancer covered another's eyes
was dramatically, simply effective. The elegant ombre dresses by Holly Hynes paralleled
the horizon-like lighting by Beverly Emmons (who lit the whole program). Choreographically,
the piece felt carelessly knit, as if a stitch had been dropped here and there,
leaving an occasional gaping hole. Welch employed numerous split lifts and other
big, bold gestures to suggest a sense of grandeur; other partnering sequences
moved through awkward twists and merely came across as uncomfortable. Still, the
pioneering spirit of modern dance was palpable throughout.
"Four Men in Suits" by Ann Carlson
stood out in the program stylistically and artistically. The four men (Griff Braun,
Victor Quijada, Jeremy Raia, and John Welker), dressed in grey suits, stepped
into their shoes, which seemed to be nailed down in a sandbox-sized box. They
performed seemingly ad hoc gestures and nervous tics at once or in canon, and
segued into non-sequitur scenes of daily life (petting a dog, hailing a cab).
The result was an absurd, poetic theatrical mix.
Coburn-Bruning offered three works.
The premiere of "Passages" was danced to roiling, percussive music by John Mackey.
It offered a wealth of grand partnering passages and some lyrical phrases which
allowed the skilled dancers to demonstrate their sense of musicality. An engaging
duet by Nanci Crowley and Griff Braun was accompanied by music that mirrored the
act of breathing, inhaling and exhaling. Coburn-Bruning also choreographed "Piazzolla
Songs" (2000), to music by Astor Piazzolla, which music is a Pandora's Box to
choreographers -- irresistibly rhythmic and dancy, yet demanding some level of
tango mixed into the choreography, often resulting in a somewhat diluted paean.
Coburn-Bruning's effort was no exception, though she wisely adhered to simple,
flattering costumes, and blended technical virtuosity (well-paced outside turns
eliding effortlessly into arabesques) with a clear, legible dance vocabulary (a
couple danced together aggressively, only with a cushion of air between them).
Quijada's strong, quietly smoldering presence was notable in this piece and in
"Berceuse," where he was paired with Crowley, whose muscular, long frame and flexible
feet drew the most out of a line. This duet offered canny partnering -- spirals
around one another, and wrapping and unwrapping, though an excess of rosin on
the stage surface made for balky promenades.
The other excellent dancers were
Lisa Tachick, Amy Claugus, and Hollis Mackintosh. They were joined by Steve Gosling
(piano), Christopher Lee (violin), Rebecca Patterson (cello), Damien Bassman (percussion),
Mike Kelley (viola), and Pedro Pinyol (violin), who performed compositions by
Ligeti, Shostakovich, and Corigliano in between dances. The program was, on the
whole, well-conceived and executed, and employed a wonderful cast of dancers and
musicians. In fact, the skill of the dancers sets forth the dubious criticism
that only a part of their vast technical arsenal was utilized in the small-scale
setting, sort of like watching a race horse trotting around a warm-up ring on
a lead -- nonetheless, a pure, private indulgence.
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