Monday, October 31, 2022

Nancy Karp + Dancers

Nancy Karp + Dancers 
Nancy Karp + Dancers
Photo John Hefti
fly through the night, and land near dawn 
Dresher Ensemble Studio, Oakland 
October 28th, 2022 


If you want to revel in the Bay Area contemporary dance scene’s incredible talent and artistry, go and see Nancy Karp + Dancers. Any chance you get. For each new project, Artistic Director and Choreographer Nancy Karp assembles a powerhouse ensemble, and for fly through the night, and land near dawn, which premiered Friday evening at the Dresher Ensemble Studio, she has done it again. The cast of seven demonstrated aplomb, grace and ferocity in the three-part work – a work that looked to the skies and ornithology for inspiration. It was action packed. It kept your eyes glued to the stage. And it was relatable. The dancers were not trying to ‘become’ or ‘transform’ into birds à la Swan Lake. Rather, they showed, through Karp’s imaginative movement, how one might respond to and internalize the majesty of such creatures. fly was a great piece and a lovely way to mark the company’s 40th anniversary. 

While the choreographic vibe and dynamic remained solid, albeit very similar, throughout, each section of fly highlighted a uniquely avian quality and tone. Part 1 - expanse. Bodies soared, floated and carved out space with every arm and leg motion. One could see elegant wingspans and buoyant, lofty footwork, particularly in the parallel sissones and soubresauts. Each chapter was framed by a different, original musical composition by David A. Jaffe, and this one was titled Fox Hollow. It was such an amazing treat to have the music performed live by the Friction Quartet, with Jaffe joining on the mandolin and mandocello. Having said that, part 1’s choreography and music felt a bit mismatched. In the movement phrases, we saw sweeping breadth and volume and, in the score, plucky, atonal dissonance. Of course, there is no rule that the music and the movement need to match, but here, the dissimilar qualities took focus from one another. Each on their own was quite dazzling, just the pairing wasn’t my cup of tea. 

As the evening continued and fly glided into parts 2 and 3, the music and the choreography found and established a beautiful marriage. And if the opening chapter was all about open vastness, part 2 (set to String Quartet for 2 Instruments) was all about suspension and release. Long arabesques stretched to the extreme, until they sprung back, coiling into passé turns. Attitude postures, with their intense internal spiral, wound and twisted and finally, collapsed into the ground. 

Pictured: Calvin Thomas and Anna Greenberg
Photo John Hefti

Part 3 brought the viewer into the land of sprightly jumps and springy steps - more parallel soubresauts, quick chaîné turns, assembling of the legs in the air and bouncy chaissés. And the score for this final segment, also titled fly through the night, and land near dawn, returned to a more staccato dissonant space. But because the dance for this section was sparkling and sharper, it fit masterfully this time. In fact, I would characterize the whole scene of this closing chapter as almost cinematic in quality. Every moment, every step was so vital, so full of life, so otherworldly. I only wished the dancers hadn’t looked so serious and somber for much of the work. There was a tiny bit of levity here and there and the mood was so joyful when that happened. I think more joy and less angst is what this viewer is craving these days, and I’m sure I’m not the only one.