2018 Milestones

The Trout by Mark Morris. Photo: Stephanie Berger

DANCE

Jane Comfort’s 40th Anniversary Retrospective, La MaMa

Well-produced video, tight direction, and a welcome reminder of the breadth of Comfort’s warm-hearted oeuvre and the tightly knit dance community.

Balanchine: The City Center Years

A dream mini-festival of companies and dances that reminded us of City Center’s sometimes overlooked history.

The Trout, by Mark Morris, Mark Morris Dance Group, Mostly Mozart, Lincoln Center

Displayed Morris’ musical insightfulness and the intelligence to embrace simplicity, even if it pointed out the diminished dance offerings at Lincoln Center.

Canto Ostinato by Lucinda Childs, INTRODANS, Fall for Dance, New York City Center

This mesmerizing gem performed by a Dutch troupe was overshadowed in a strong festival that is more focused, if less populist, than ever.

The Runaway, by Kyle Abraham, New York City Ballet

Taylor Stanley’s dynamite solo was the transcendent performance of the year in a work that felt revolutionary in the Koch Theater.

Dearest Home, Kyle Abraham, A.I.M., Quadrille, Joyce Theater

In contrast, this subtle work had just enough narrative implication. One of five fascinating choices for a continuing series done in-the-round.

Lazarus, Rennie Harris, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, City Center

Subtle but gut-wrenching movement metaphors and well-paced dynamics building in two acts to an exuberant and elating finale.

RIP

Paul Taylor

ART

Cy Twombly, Gagosian

Who needs museums? (Kidding. Sorta.)

BOOKS

The Overstory, Richard Powers

Interwoven stories, all somehow involving trees, made me realize how much I take them for granted.

Warlight, Michael Ondaatje

In wartime, seemingly neglected children have been cared for by a colorful supporting cast of characters.

The Library Book, Susan Orlean

History and a crime make for surprisingly compelling reading. Plus, a killer title and book design.

Clock Dance, Anne Tyler

Redemption and personal re-invention sneakily prevail in this novel with many odd characters.

There There, Tommy Orange

The fates of a roster of characters comes together at a powwow in Oakland, CA.

Comfort and Faith Healing, 11/4/10

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Jane Comfort's Faith Healing at Joyce Soho

http://www.thirteen.org/sundayarts/blog/performance/comfort-and-faith-healing/937/

Jane Comfort recently revived Faith Healing, a 1993 dance-theater retelling of Tennessee 

Photo of Mark Dendy by Johan Elbers.

Williams’Glass Menagerie, at the Joyce Soho (closed). It’s a bit of a departure from her recent work, which has tended to concern a topical issue, or a mash-up of several themes, told with dance, song, text, and visuals. (Although it is clear that “typical” is not a word that can be applied to Comfort on any level.)Faith Healing is intimate, quiet, at times thrilling, and stars the incomparable Mark Dendy in the lead role of Amanda.

Dendy originated the role, and is joined by the excellent Heather Christian as her daughter Laura, Sean Donovan as son Tom, and Matthew Hardy as the Gentleman Caller. (More ample evidence that Comfort’s performers are consistenly accomplished at dance, acting, and singing.) Rather than wearing a wig, Dendy simply poufs up his shortish hair and wears conservative dresses, pumps, and makeup, when he’s not in a frumpy pink robe. Costume and makeup is fairly superfluous however, as he perfectly inhabits an old-fashioned, fading Southern belle, akin to Blanche Dubois. Amanda deploys her sugar-coated voice, her trippingly delicate movement, her absolute, overweening eagerness to please or to try to sweettalk those around her into doing her futile bidding.

Hot and Cold Comfort, 10/7/08

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Jane Comfort's An American Rendition

http://www.thirteen.org/sundayarts/blog/performance/hot-and-cold-comfort/93/

Jane Comfort’s An American Rendition, which recently closed at the end of September, is the latest work in an oeuvre that continually reaches beyond what most other New York choreographers are producing. Comfort has never shied from topical subject matter, complex collaborations, or pushing her performers past what is normally demanded of them. This new work manages to segue scenes of torture with those of reality TV shows, and succeeds in spades.

The core story centers on the interrogation of an American played by Sean Donovan. It begins as routine questioning of Donovan after he passes through the inanities of airport security, driven by whimsical directives that change with the wind. The questioning session grows more intense, more like what you’d imagine early-stage Guantanamo Bay is like, with the same oversight of basic human rights and answers ignored simply because they aren’t the ones desired.

Actual tactics of interrogation are read aloud by believably bureaucratic Peter Sciscioli, bullet points that go from A to W and venture from practical to psychologically black. Donovan inhabits his character so fully as to make him entirely plausible. He is eventually stripped to his briefs, and his lean frame and full beard add to the wracked desperation of his role. His wife is portrayed by the talented Jessica Anthony, who segues seamlessly from aggrieved spouse intoAmerican Idol contestant singing “I Will Survive” at the top of her lungs.