But, this quibble aside, Zero provides yet more evidence of Willson and Clark continually pushing the boundaries of Clod Ensemble’s work into adventurous explorations.
Tag - Merce Cunningham
A lasting impression of the performance was, as ever, the range of Cunningham’s vocabulary, from shape-making to intricate steps, leaps, spins and lifts, constantly surprising.
No-one could have expected this to be another once-in-a-lifetime explosion of genius but this is nevertheless a ground-breaking work.
Rojo has declared that her ambition as artistic director of ENB is to make audiences hold their breath. I certainly did during Le Jeune Homme et la Mort...
It takes a certain amount of nerve to build a dance season around some of the great masterpieces of the chamber music repertoire. It’s not simply a matter of status in the musical canon; these pieces are strong, they produce emotions, they command attention for themselves. But Bill T Jones is not a timid artist...
What one does not see much of, at least at first glance, is nostalgia for the motherland. “I never had nostalgia about anything,” Baryshnikov says.
...it’s remarkable how satisfying the old-fashioned virtues of structure and form can be.
In many respects Abraham's 'Another Night' is a typical Ailey work: its score is upbeat, its costumes are colorful and the dancing is fast and athletic.
Ek laments the loss of dramatic repertory in today’s classical programming. “Many modern dancers don’t want that ‘reason’ for doing,” relegating drama in dance to childish pantomime, not serious business.
Tere O’Connor can be a frustrating choreographer. Look for structure and you’ll likely be thwarted, frustrated, or worse. Because it clearly is there, but you can’t understand it.
The Unkindness of Ravens - collaborative efforts are not easy, especially when they are cooked up over a short period. The two companies are just similar enough - contemporary, ballet-based - to make the project even more complicated.
The company danced Serenade well but the very simplicity in its choreography, created as it was initially for students, ironically makes it hard to produce a perfect performance...
It's always been clear that Millepied is a man of intelligence and taste.
The Cuban schooling of Hopuy is impressive and his variation was expertly danced, including the trademark Cuban flicking over of the take-off leg in a jeté en tournant...
All up 'Labyrinth of Love' is a wonderful creative endeavour, a great looker, but an extra dash of audience accessibility is needed. We go "Wow", rather than "Wow, I really loved what that had to say"
Every Fall For Dance program is a bit of a pot luck, which is part of the festival’s charm. This year it has been expanded to twelve of performances (each costing $15, up from $10 last year)...
This is the third mounting of the work since its première in 1976 at the Avignon Festival, where it quickly became the stuff of legend. What was this strange, endlessly-repetitive, oddly compelling work?
It’s easy to admire ECLIPSE for its moments of understated beauty, its modesty, its craft, and the quality of the dancing. Why, then, does it ultimately feel so cold and empty?
Bob Lockyer must be truly proud of his birthday gift: not a dud amongst the commissions he has brought about, sending three young choreographers on their way to a promising future.