Emio Greco | PC-University of Maryland

I am not a literary scholar. Yet, I was about to see Emio Greco | PC’s [purgatorio] POPOPERA, a work that had drawn inspiration from Dante’s Divine Comedy. I felt competent to survey it from a movement perspective, but the literary component was uncharted and somewhat uncomfortable territory. Not being familiar with the epic poem, I did some last minute cramming, which provided the narrative story, main characters and thematic purpose. So, with what I hoped was the general gist under my belt, I ventured to the University of Maryland’s Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center.

I took more notes during [purgatorio] POPOPERA than I have in any other performance I have seen. It was a rich, complex concerto of movement and music combined with weird, strange and frightening imagery. Emio Greco and Pieter C. Scholten have conceived of and created not only an engaging and provocative work, but also a triumph in form and content. Usually, a dance has masterful construction or genius story telling, but not both. This choreographic team is able to harness structural and narrative elements together and effectively translate them onto the stage, a rare feat. Each individual component had such strength that when combined, the piece, as a whole, exploded with intensity.

Some suggest that Dante’s primary contribution was the ability to merge themes and images from all different aspects of life. Greco and Scholten are also masters of fusion. An astonishing structural combination of movement styles is their manifestation. I saw almost every type of dance I could imagine in [purgatorio] POPOPERA. Ballet and modern were the most prominent, but they were not afraid to draw from other movement sources, even some comical additions. In the first main group dance, to “I Got Life” from the musical Hair, there were popping and isolation sequences that come directly from jazz, hip hop and break-dancing. About half way through the piece, there was a sedate solo for one of the women that was filled with Fosse-style, musical theater dance. Near the end, the masked male character was combining old-fashioned tap dancing with new-fangled body percussion. And, of course, there was minimalist pedestrian movement, and I even glimpsed a moonwalk. In less capable hands, all this material packed into in a one-hour performance might appear choppy or frenetic. But here it was not. The compositional mastery that Greco and Scholten share, in concert with the extraordinary talents of the dancers, combined these styles together with brilliance and clarity.

[purgatorio] POPOPERA also shared an incredible sense of the narrative and successfully depicted a transition in control. During the first half of the piece, the dancers’ movements were wild; the feeling was one of angst-ridden chaos. Something bigger had come over them and they had no choice but to participate in pandemonium. Ownership of their bodies was not their own; a powerful force in the negative space was encouraging the madness and bedlam that was expressed through the choreography. Then, there was a clear moment of change. All-black guitars had been present in the piece from the beginning and at this point of transition, the dancers traded these for black and white guitars. From that point forward, the performers were very much in control; they were making music, playing instruments, and creating something, rather than forces being imposed upon them. My sense was that the outside influence controlling their movements and sending them into a whirl of motion was their sin. The latter half of the piece, as they switched guitars, indicated a shift in their sin. They were no longer bound by their transgressions, they were in control of them.

Emio Greco | PC was one of the more avant-garde troupes that I have seen in a while. Having said that, I also feel that [purgatorio] POPOPERA was one of the clearest pieces that I have seen recently. For me, avant-garde and understanding don’t often belong in the same sentence, but Emio Greco and Pieter Scholten’s unique conception of both form and content makes such avant-garde work more accessible.

The Suzanne Farrell Ballet-The Kennedy Center

Technology has been a true gift to the performing arts. With the emergence of audio, visual and computer innovation comes unlimited possibilities. There are now opportunities to record choreography and teaching techniques like never before. Previously, this was limited to a few obscure and uncommon notation systems. Yes, these methods, like Labanotation, allow dances to be logged. However, few dancers and choreographers know how to write or read these practices' hieroglyphics. So, their true usefulness is dubious. Video and other technological advances are clearly more accessible and user-friendly. Nevertheless, many gifts are also curses. Dance companies, to their detriment, now rely too heavily on technology and have moved away from primary choreographic sources when staging older works. Rather than looking for someone to help reconstruct a piece, a substandard video becomes the mediocre substitution. So, when you see a troupe that has a direct lineage with the original choreographer, the difference is clear. The Suzanne Farrell Ballet illustrates that technological tools are no match for personal first-hand experience.

The true Balanchine spirit in Pas d'Action from Divertimento No. 15, Agon's infamous duet, and the pas de deux from Stars and Stripes could have only been staged by one of his dancers. Of course, the choreography was amazing; it was Balanchine. But, what was most incredible was the extent to which Farrell has imparted her vast knowledge of this choreographer's style and technique. He was alive on the stage; both in the grandeur and in the quietest moments.

The opening of Divertimento No. 15 showcased Balanchine's love of movement. He celebrated dance and music, without creating false illusion on the stage. One of the ways he accomplished this was having the onstage dancers watch the soloist being featured. So often, the corps faces directly forward and pays no attention to what is happening center stage. In this excerpt, when the others watch the soloist, everyone's focus is on those steps at that moment, nothing fake or artificial, just movement. The Agon pas de deux is an incredibly difficult and intricate work that Farrell staged brilliantly. The two dancers were able to complete partnering that is both awkward and fluid at the same time, a testament to both theirs and Farrell's talent. My favorite moment was right before the final pose, when the ballerina, who has been contorted, bent and twisted through the whole duet, passes through a clear and defined first position. Other artistic directors miss that opportunity, and it is so important. In that brief second, we are reminded where all choreography and movement in ballet comes from: the first position of the feet. All the brilliant supports and lifts can be traced back to that place and moment of stability. The Stars and Stripes pas de deux was also well-coached; however, the female lead was a bit off on Saturday night. Her developpe in 2nd looked labored and noticeably dropped during the partnered promenade. Her en dedans turns and fouettes were technically sound, but she had difficulty sticking the landing on one of her variations and had some shaky moments on pointe. I need to see this company perform that piece again to get a real sense of the Balanchinian moments that were so beautifully clear in Divertimento No. 15 and Agon. I have seen these works staged on more advanced dancers, but they did not have the magic that was present with The Suzanne Farrell Ballet. That goes to show that technique only takes you so far; artistry is everything and Farrell is doing something with her company that others should emulate.

Video is a wonderful choreographic tool, but it cannot capture everything. It can miss the intricate 'isms' and true essence of the work. Technology will continue to advance and hopefully, the quality of archival videos will improve and reflect that progress. I still think that re-staging of dance is more authentic and genuine when passed from person to person rather than from a machine.

2009 Local Dance Commissioning Project Part II-Kennedy Center

The final installment of the Kennedy Center’s 2009 Local Dance Commissioning Project was presented this past Thursday and Friday. Tehreema Mitha was the second awardee of this important program for DC-area choreographic artists. Her troupe, Tehreema Mitha Dance Company, staged Blue Jeans, the commissioned work for the Millennium Stage, and an older piece, Cherry Blossoms in D.C. (2005).

Blue Jeans examined issues of immigration, ethnic diversity, individuality and mourning. Mitha attempted to illustrate the loss of identity that many immigrants experience when journeying to the U.S. Yet, coupled with that void, they are somehow able to find common ground in their new home through such banal items as blue jeans. Unknowingly, these jeans become a common denominator for many cultures living in the same place. Cherry Blossoms in D.C. celebrated the tourist extravaganza that happens every spring in the District during the National Cherry Blossom Festival. This joy and exuberance was juxtaposed against the day-to-day political activities that still continue during that time for the non-tourists who call D.C. their home.

Mitha’s company is very entertaining and interesting to watch, but I wish that there had been a little more mystery surrounding the pieces. Blue Jeans had a very in-depth description in the playbill, detailing exactly what the work was trying to convey. I suppose that you were not required to read these notes, but even if you purposely avoided them, the video element of the piece made the message equally as obvious. The addition of mixed media was overkill; the choreography alone would have been successful in sharing the significance of the work. The same is true with Cherry Blossoms in D.C. For this piece, there was also an explanation in the playbill, but in addition, before the work began, there was an audio commentary spelling out what we were about to see. There was too much translucency; the audience needs to have some room for its own interpretation. They may not come to the conclusion that the choreographer wants, but that’s the risk you take as a performance artist. It’s all about putting your work out there, and once you have, the element of control must be surrendered.