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There was nothing fussy about Armitage Gone! Dance’s performance at KU’s Lied Center last Friday night. There were no sets, backdrops, or even wings, just a single piece of marley amidst the stark concrete wall and almost blinding light booms. These simple settings and black costumes juxtaposed the complex ideas behind one of Armitage’s newest works, Three Theories.

The performance began with a bang, literally. Karole Armitage, a native of Lawrence, Kansas, drew inspiration for Three Theories from two seasoned, contrasting physics theories and a more recent and controversial theory that combines the two. The first section, “Bang,” featured fluid choreography that was broken up by sharp moves, usually in time to the gongs in the music. Armitage’s choreography was grounded and modern-based, especially for the men, while the women exhibited more balletic lines.

“Relativity,” the second section, exuded slow and slinky movement that matched the Middle Eastern-inspired score. The Theory of Relativity—the concept that motion is contingent on time and space—was apparent as the eleven dancers took turns manipulating themselves and each other to test the outcome. One particularly favorite move was lifting up and holding one’s own leg. While impressive at first, the step became overused and repetitive.

The clever choreography required focus and balance, which was impressive when successful. The dancers also did a commendable job of moving fully, extending their lines and engaging all body parts. Overall, the company danced with great energy but broke character as they exited and entered the floor.

The third section, “Quantum,” demonstrated the Theory of Quantum Mechanics based on the idea that movement is sporadic and random. This concept was extremely evident in the heavy, jarring actions and subsequent reactions of the dancers. The music and lighting affirmed the chaos with intermittent black outs and cymbal crashes. All but two of the women transitioned into pointe shoes and several of them paired up with male counterparts for longer partnering sequences. The females’ flexibility was unworldly, making it hard to believe any of them still have functioning hamstrings. The red-headed main girl was too over the top, but the girl who let her hair down created beautiful lines, foreshadowing the last section of the piece, “String.”

String Theory explores the discovery of peace and harmony out of disorder. The dancers took turns changing into white costumes as the piece continued and the movement eventually shifted from harsh and thrashing to soft and calming. The music’s crescendo leveled off into a monotonous tone. The group sequence toward the end of the piece proved the point of the theory but was repetitious and dragging. The performance, only an hour long, finally came to an end as the dancers gathered in a circle, motioning toward the sky.

The company’s technique as a whole was striking. Each dancer had a unique background but with a noticeable ballet foundation. The men did not have as many feature parts as the women, but they still had small moments to show off. The program started very strong and had exceptional peaks throughout, but became too tedious toward the end. Every section, except the last one, ended bluntly with the dancing suddenly stopping and the music haphazardly following. Still, Armitage’s inspiration was thought-provoking and the dancers’ execution was pleasing.

REVIEW
Lied Center
Armitage Gone! Dance
Friday, November 5, 2010
Lied Center
University of Kansas Campus, Lawrence, KS
for more information visit http://www.liedcenter.org

Photos by Julieta Cervantes

By Laura Vernaci

Dance Contributor

Laura Vernaci is a Kansas City native who has always been passionate about the arts, particularly dance. She began dance lessons at the young age of five and hasn't stopped since. She trained at the Kansas City Ballet where she became a serious dancer and learned about a professional company. 

She attended Butler University in Indianapolis, IN where she majored in dance. She transferred to Truman State University in Kirksville, MO in 2006 and received a degree in Journalism in May 2008.  Laura spent the 2008-2009 in Duluth, MN dancing professionally for the Minnesota Ballet. She performed in productions such as, "The Nutcracker," "Cinderella" and "Coppelia" as well as world premier ballets created on the company.

She recently moved back to Kansas City and is excited to combine her experience in writing with her passion for dance. In addition to performing and writing, Laura also enjoys teaching dance and choreographing.