San Francisco
Conservatory of Dance
Summer Dance Series
July 28th,
2014
The San Francisco Bay
Area dance scene has a specialness; a distinct flavor, a unique pulse and
incredible breadth. There is an incomparable range in genre: ballet, modern,
aerial, dance theater, multi-disciplinary, film, world dance. Diverse groups
from long-standing historic companies to newly formed troupes. Large scale
venues and black box theaters; site-specific locations and surprise happenings.
Star choreographers and up-and-coming performing artists, seasoned dancers and new
professionals at the beginning of their careers. San Francisco Conservatory of
Dance’s Summer Dance Series seeks to bring this variety together by
facilitating performance collaborations between established directors,
experienced dancers and emerging artists. July’s final offering is “Sonorous
Figures”, a two-part contemporary piece conceived by choreographer Christian
Burns and musician Donald White. For this fifth year of the Summer Dance
Series, the Conservatory has also welcomed the public to its SOMA studio - a
close, intimate setting ideal for a work all about authenticity and the essence
of deconstructedness.
Section I, subtitled
‘Figures in Black and White’ acted as a prelude to the main body of the work
and was Burns’ contemporary take on neoclassicism. The costumes were
deconstructed, simple black and white practice clothes à la Balanchine; the
choreography also appropriately devoid of narrative. Ethereal and otherworldly,
this highly technical duet, danced by Aidan DeYoung and Deanna Gooding and
accompanied by White at the piano, carried a great deal of attention, care and
precision. Extraneous theatrical elements were downplayed so that in true
neoclassical fashion, the movement could shine front and center. And there was
some gorgeous choreography that rightly deserved the spotlight. Two promenades particularly
stood out. Gooding, in a textbook arabesque on high demi-pointe, was brought
full circle by DeYoung (a seasoned pas de deux partner) who supported her from
the front, with his back to her. Towards the end of this overture, Gooding
executed a solo promenade in 2nd attitude, with her arms in a high 5th
position. Burns also instituted a great sense of parity in the lifts. Gooding
balanced DeYoung on her back, and then DeYoung lifted her high in the air in a
standing position. A short vignette, ‘Figures in Black and White’ made a lovely
statement about the beauty in deconstruction.
Photo: RAPT Productions |
The lights dimmed and “Sonorous
Figures’” second scene was set – two women (Emily Jones and Shannon Leypoldt)
sat at a table downstage right while Burns entered from the left curtain, playing
a character that was equal parts hobo and melancholy clown. Modern with a hint
of dance theater, there was a lot going on in Section II (‘Figures in Flesh and
Blood’) but it never felt like too much. Neither linear nor abstract, ‘Figures
in Flesh and Blood’ was a mosaic of concepts, images and stories, all dosed with
sensitive, though bittersweet, nostalgia. Choreographically, Burns injected his
solos with articulative isolations in his entire body, though specifically in
his limbs and spine (a bit of a throwback to puppetry). His relationship with
the floor was in constant flux - sometimes affectionate; sometimes harsh - and the
choreographic tool of repetition served a dual purpose of emphasizing and
anesthetizing at the same time. Snippets of different dance styles abounded
like he was sharing a collection of different remembrances. A particular
highlight was the fast, frenetic ballet sequence underscored by White’s
virtuosic interpretation of a presto classical composition. Compelling
choreography was also seen in the women’s sequences, punctuated by some good
old-fashioned Graham vocab: the triplet, off-balance tilt in 2nd as
well as some stunning airplane turns in arabesque. As all three performers
cycled through solos, duets and trios, there were moments of begging and
pleading; yearning and seeking. And what made ‘Figures in Flesh and Blood’
reminiscent of deconstruction was the personal nature of these images. Pretense
was nowhere to be found. A variety of themes were present, but in each, it felt
like the audience was being invited to witness an intimate discussion, a
vulnerable conversation. Genuineness is powerful; it is a deconstructed state;
stripped down and bare. With such an authentic theme, “Sonorous Figures”
couldn’t help but be powerful too.