Baldwin and Obarzanek's Human Connection

Ambient Cowboy. Photo: Aram Jibilian

Two intimate shows this past week were reminders of how essential the human connection is in dance. New York Live Arts presented Ivy Baldwin's new work, Ambient Cowboy, a work for four dancers. And Chunky Move scaled way down at the Joyce Soho, where outgoing artistic director and company founder Gideon Obarzanek went solo in a personal piece on the expectations of being a choreographer.

Baldwin took a more minimal approach than in recent works, which had more formal costumes and sets. The company (Baldwin, Lawrence Cassella, Molly Poerstel-Taylor, and Eleanor Smith) is credited for Cowboy's elegant draped sheer black tunics and trunks. Anna Schuleit designed the ingenious, digitally projected scribbled-light "set," in one instance pinning Eleanor Smith to the floor with a net of light, like a space-age Gulliver. Justin Jones created the sketchy, fleeting sound.

Baldwin's work contains very human aspects, such as endearing, sometimes awkward interactions, and a sense of lightheartedness. The work begins with Cassella exaggeratedly breathing, the most basic human function. All four cluster and create a shifting tableau around one of the women in a cat pose, with another dancer's arm filling in for a wagging tail. The choreography can look deceptively easy. A repeated phrase involves balancing on one foot and very slowly passing the free leg from a front extension to the back. The feeling of randomness is quickly subverted when the dancers move together in formation, or suddenly resemble a Rodin sculpture. The piece is quietly moving without any overt narrative.

On the other hand, Obarzanek is all about narrative in Faker, a twist on Krapp's Last Tape, with the desk and spotlight. With a laptop instead of a tape recorder, he reads an email from someone who commissioned him to choreograph a work for her. We hear of her disappointment or failed expectations, broken up by sections of movement varying from silly (mumbling unknown words to a pop song) to lushly muscular. A confessional valedictory performance, much was forgiven knowing Obarzanek's usual penchant for experimentation within the form, and for his solid, satisfying choreography. No doubt we will see him down the road officially untethered from his company, trying out new things.

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.

Welcome Back, Tulsa Ballet, 8/17/09

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Tulsa Ballet at Joyce Theater

http://www.thirteen.org/sundayarts/blog/ballet/welcome-back-tulsa-ballet/743/

New York regularly plays host to ballet companies from smaller cities. It’s an oft brutal undertaking for the visitors. The old lyric/trope—“if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere”—holds some truth, although many a company manages just fine by avoiding New York City. Tulsa Ballet finally took the plunge after a 25 year hiatus, and the one lingering question is, what took them so long?

The company performed at the Joyce, flattering venue to many visiting  companies, although the rep performed could use a larger stage. Nonetheless, the three works shown showed off the group’s assets. Kenneth MacMillan’s Elite Syncopations (1974) felt more like a party than a dance, in no small part due to Ian Spurling’s fantastic mock evening wear, mainly unitards of brilliant colors and patterns. Pairs and groups of varying number took centerstage as the others ringed the periphery. Karina Gonzalez, in a sleek white costume, dazzled with her fine technique and cool, yet riveting stage presence.

Dance Off the Beaten Path, 10/2/08

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Dance at CPR, Chocolate Factory, Joyce Soho

http://www.thirteen.org/sundayarts/blog/film/dance-off-the-beaten-path/624/

It’s not exactly news that space in New York is at a premium, particularly for space-hungry ventures like dance studios and performance venues. So it is with special interest that a few spaces off the beaten path have offered distinctive, thoughtful shows in the last few weeks. CPR – Center for Performance Research inaugurated its Williamsburg space with work by French artist Christian Rizzo (presented by Chez Bushwick with FIAF), Baryshnikov Arts Center hosted the reprise of the well-received Rammed Earth by Tere O’Connor, and Joyce Soho is showing the fruits of a collaboration between Wally Cardona and Rahel Vonmoos.

CPR, founded by Chez Bushwick’s Jonah Bokaer and choreographer John Jasperse, offered a glimpse of French artist Rizzo’s conceptual work. A storefront room is devoted to his installation, 100% Polyester (video below), in which two sheer nightgowns joined at the sleeves dandle from hangars, tossed by the breezes from multiple fans. Absence, presence, life, death are all hinted at. A video self-portrait Rizzo made with Caty Olive consists of video portraits of other dancers, refractions of the artist as perceived by his subjects.