CityDance Ensemble-The John F. Kennedy Center for the Arts

CityDance Ensemble has brought egalitarianism back to the Washington D.C. modern dance scene. Their new mixed repertory program, Latitude, premiered this past Thursday night at The Kennedy Center's Terrace Theater. CityDance productions are always eclectic and Latitude was no exception. Yet, it offered something else besides a commitment to diversity. The common thread that wove through the five disparate pieces and bound the evening together was the pursuit of democracy in performance.

In three of the five dances, this egalitarianism was visible through partnering. I have loved the concept and choreography of Kate Weare's Scorched since I first saw it. However, this time, the Tango section spoke on a deeper level than before. Like any social dance, the Tango has a leader and a follower. Weare understands and acknowledges this convention but also puts her own spin on things. She challenges the gender roles and makes the leader-follower dynamic variable. Each dancer has the opportunity to play both parts: the dominant and the submissive. Pathways, by Alex Neoral, was an ode to dance history, and its partnering was crafted like post-modern contact improvisation. The giving and receiving of weight was amazing and created cantilevered shapes that defied gravity. And, again the control in each pair shifted between the two performers, celebrating an equality that was truly beautiful. Larry Keigwin's Mattress Suite was the most entertaining contribution to the program, with the key still being a study of collaboration. His theme of relationships and clever movement vocabulary illustrated the give and take that we experience in all human connections. These three pieces were very different yet each grew from an underlying source of shared responsibility, manifested in partnering.

Rachel Erdos' Alma was a different side to performance egalitarianism. Here, the equality was reflected in how the dancers related to and incorporated their environment. Alma unfolds on a stage full of green apples. Through the entire work, the apples became part of the movement; they were not peripheral elements nor stage decoration. They transferred from one body to the other, via mouth, neck, bicep and knees. And, when this transference was happening, each performer displayed an acute awareness of the body, the object and the environment. As strange as it may seem, I think this piece is realistically made for three performers: the two dancers and the apples. The environmental objects became as much a part of the performance as was the choreography.

The final piece, Thirst, started out adhering to the evening's theme. Christopher K. Morgan's environmental analysis is an interdisciplinary work complete with video, audio, text, and props. When it began, I was encouraged by the integration of mixed media elements and choreography. The initial video image was of sand running through a pair of hands. The first dancer of the piece, Jason Garcia Ignacio, made a deep, meaningful bond with this reflection on the back scrim. And, the remaining dancers also entered the stage through this 'video curtain', again showing the integration of that set element in the work. However, as the piece went on, this early cohesiveness disappeared. There was just too much and too many things happening on the stage at once. When choreography and other performance elements work together, the result can be powerful, like it was at the start of Thirst. But, when choreographers add and add, their vision becomes clouded and obstructed. This piece can work, it just needs some editing.

The dancers of CityDance Ensemble have incredible breadth, range and adaptability and the artistic staff have an uncompromising vision. This company has a special formula where choreographic diversity is sought, without compromising the importance of cohesive themes, like egalitarianism in performance.

The Washington Ballet-The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

Conveying a story is the purpose of a large-scale narrative ballet; a sequence of events unfolds over time. The essential components are characters, their relationships, their interactions and the general plot. But, the more interesting aspect of narrative dance is the underlying theme. In Don Quixote, the hope and search for ideal love is this obvious premise. Though, a secondary and subtler message is also present: that of homecoming. The Washington Ballet premiered their new version of Don Quixote this week at the Kennedy Center. Staged by Anna-Marie Holmes, this production had a technical ferocity that re-invigorated a classic. Artistic Director Septime Webre has assembled an incredible group of dancers that were more than able to fulfill Holmes' vision.

Friday night's performance gave us Maki Onuki as a consummate Kitri. She performed the most difficult sequences with elegance, poise and calm, particularly the spectacular double fouettes in Act III. She also gave equal attention to the less flashy choreography, like Kitri's balance and waltz turns in the Port scene. These circular sequences were stunning. She showed the audience the value that should be held for every step, not just the fantastic and the grand. Though her overall technique was exquisite, my focus was pulled to Miss Onuki's use of demi-pointe. The arch of her foot on full pointe was incredibly developed, but it was her diligent attention to rolling through demi-pointe that was intoxicating. It is in these transitional moments that you finally notice the mechanics of ballet. When beginning to dance on toe, the first thing you learn is how to roll through your demi-pointe on the way up and on the way down. This transitory space is your salvation; it protects your ankles, your calves and provides a crucial opportunity to use the floor. Often, ballerinas of her caliber have forgotten this lesson and as a result, cut their career short.

Brooklyn Mack took a little while to warm up, but once he did, the audience was rewarded with his dynamic performance as Basilio. His pas de trois with Kitri's friends (danced by Sona Kharatian and Amanda Cobb) was the defining moment when he really came into the role. From that point forward, Basilio and Mr. Mack were one. The Kitri/Basilio pas de deuxs were very impressive, especially one particular lift. Several times, Mr. Mack had to balance Miss Onuki well above his head with just one hand on her hip; she was both stable and buoyant in each instance.

Two other cast members must be mentioned, even though their respective parts were relatively short: Ayano Kimura and Norton Fatinel. Ayano Kimura as Amour, or the cupid character, was absolutely delightful. Her interpretation of the choreography perfectly matched this impish and playful character. Mr. Fatinel's performance as the gypsy man stole the show as far as I am concerned. The jumps that Holmes choreographed for him really defied the laws of nature. His execution of these movements seemed super-human and received the loudest reaction of the evening.

Anna-Marie Holmes truly captured the idea of homecoming with Kitri and Basilio. For them, home was their love for each other and when they were finally united (though they accomplished it through trickery), they had arrived at a place of comfort and contentment. This theme could have been further augmented in the character of the Don. Don Quixote is driven by the search for his ideal, which has appeared to him in his dreams. Therefore, it may seem strange to suggest that homecoming is important to him. But it is. Perhaps his place of solace is the personal clarity that can only come once his quest is over. Maybe he needs to look everywhere for perfection in order to realize that his contentment and comfort truly reside in reality, not fantasy. His character depth was missing in this version, primarily because parts of the Don's story were omitted. A deeper connection with the Don is possible even with the missing sections. There just needs to be further character development.

A live orchestra was the only other missing element in this delightful production. The taped music was a mismatch to the drama unfolding onstage and it presented some challenges with timing. The Washington Ballet was well rehearsed, but some dancers still looked surprised by or unprepared for accelerations and decelerations. Without a conductor physically present, it is tough to anticipate significant tempo changes, no matter how many times you have run the ballet with the recorded score. I'm sure that the company would have preferred to have a live orchestra, but in uncertain financial times, difficult decisions and compromises have to be made. Go and support The Washington Ballet; the performances are fantastic and a larger audience base may ensure that live musicians will be there in the future.

LADO-The Music Center at Strathmore

For more than a decade, Irish-themed performing arts have been on an upswing. The spectacle of Riverdance and Lord of the Dance appealed to the general public much like reality dance competitions do on television. Reaching a larger audience is a notable and significant achievement; however, at the same time, these overly produced shows have a sense of falseness to them. I, too, was blown away by the uniform choreography the first time I saw Lord of the Dance; the technical excellence was undeniable and absolute. But what I remember more about that evening was the artistic emptiness on the stage. The dancers wore constant eerie smiles, making them look more like plastic and less like people. The narrative format was also circusy, phony and contrived. It was nearly impossible to make any substantial connection to what was happening on stage, mostly because the performers themselves were so disconnected from what they were doing. It was sad; they had achieved such a high level of technique and such a low level of artistry. This past weekend, The Music Center at Strathmore proved that an evening of ethnic dance can be both technically brilliant and deeply emotional. They welcomed LADO, the National Folk Dance Ensemble of Croatia, in a performance that was generous, gracious and a sincere sharing of their customs and their national dance.

Though it is very difficult to reduce a two-hour performance to just a few thoughts, there are three words that best describe LADO: smooth, calm and joyful. The dances were steeped with fast footwork, continuous jumps and traveling hops. Their feet were moving so quickly and energetically that maintaining any degree of composure seemed impossible. Yet, composed they were. Dances From Prigorje, the final piece before intermission, added a shaking quality to the basic steps, overcoming the entire body. This type of movement can appear frenetic, chaotic and out of control. But, the dancers of LADO executed it perfectly, while still managing to retain an essence of tranquility. One thing I learned by the end of the evening was that Croatian dance is full of spinning: individual spinning, spinning in couples, spinning in groups, spinning in concentric circles. You could get dizzy just from watching the dancers perform all of these turns. Yet again, they were calmly in control, making their turns look effortless. Laura Dean only wishes that she had this many dancers who could spin so well! LADO was technically exquisite. The choreography was exact, the staging was perfect, and the unison was completely in sync. Yet, what impressed me the most was the absolute elation that was exuded from every dancer on the stage. They radiated pure joy with each other, with the audience and with the dance. The pride was in their culture, not in flashy theatrical demonstrations; theirs was an intimate honesty expressed through a lineage of movement.

I have not attended many full-length ethnic dance concerts, especially not those that represent a single cultural heritage. Much of what I have seen has been in mixed repertory or festival format, which only provides a taste of the richness that traditional dance can express. As it continues, LADO will be instrumental in bringing ethnic performance to an even higher position of popularity and prominence.