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back to Flash Reviews Flash Review 1, 7-12: Chamber Champ By 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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