Saturday, September 23, 2000
Dance review
Dayton troupe welcome visitors
By Carol Norris
Enquirer contributor
Before this weekend you had to travel to Dayton to see the beauty that is Dayton Contemporary Dance Company — or New York, Korea, Bermuda or any of the other gazillion places where this well-traveled company has performed. For one sweet weekend they were Cincinnati's, in powerhouse performances of four completely different works.
It's all modern, all the time, whether they are swinging to Duke Ellington's '40s sound or finding the Latin rhythms deep in the Dirty Dozen Brass Band. At the Aronoff's Jarson-Kaplan Theater they rocked the house Friday, with another performance Saturday.
All the music is taped — dance companies would be bankrupt if they tried to travel with live music. Artistic director Kevin Ward choreographed his “Sets and Chasers” to a live recording of Ellington's orchestra playing for a 1940 ballroom dance. You can hear radio static and an announcer talking over the noisy crowd. It's an authentic, layered approach to encourage the urge to roll up the carpet and join the fun.
Mr. Ward captures the swing era with modern moves chock full of Lindy hops, rubber legs and jitterbugs. He takes the Ellington groove and lets it tell him what to do. The result is an irresistible party that keeps the company's 10 dancers tearing up the stage.
In stark contrast, Dwight Rhoden's “Growth (A Part of a Bigger Picture)” is pared-down movement for soloist Sheri Williams. Set to the repetitive sounds of Steve Reich, it's a concise tour-de-force for the muscularly carved Ms. Williams.
Former company member Terence Greene's “Phases,” with women in red and men in black, is provocative in its treatment of relationships with a hard edge. Donald McKayle and Ronald K. Brown's “Children of the Passage” goes deep into old New Orleans, complete with traditional marching jazz bands and funeral cortege. With 300 watching, the company whisked through the different styles with infectious enthusiasm.
As at all Contemporary Dance Theater sponsored events, there was an opportunity after the performance to stick around and talk to dancers and choreographers. It gives the curious and the confused a chance to learn a bit about modern dance.
This company is worthy of a look; here's hoping Cincinnati becomes a frequent destination.
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