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Despite the rainy weather, approximately 100 people came together Friday night, interspersed throughout the Gem Theater, for Kacico Dance’s fall program, Transition. Co-Artistic Directors Maggie Osgood Nicholls, Lindsay Spilker Tate, Allison McKinzie, and Holly Noel Harmison aptly named their performance “Transition” to reflect changes the company has faced in its sixth season. With all transitions come bumps, bruises, and blunders and unfortunately, these filled the two-hour, 10-work presentation. The evening was filled with a variety of themed pieces, many of which had better concepts than executions.

One of the two longest sections of the night was Forward Progress, choreographed by Founding Artistic Director Michelle Diane Brown. The idea focused on repetition, establishing a landscape of “nothing,” and out of the monotony creating “something.” The women began with a single step and over 20 minutes added a turn here, an arm there, a small jump or a musical change. Incorporating the element of improvisation, the dancers exited, entered and moved on their own time. The piece was certainly redundant as it was built into the concept but unfortunately it yielded an uninteresting result.  The audience grew fidgety and anxious as the piece continued.  Most upsetting, perhaps, was the waste of Philip Glass’ beautiful compositions. The static dancing clashed with the musical selection, which was fluid, complex, and intriguing.

The lethargy continued after intermission with 3 Ante Meridiem - Theta Flashes, a four-part work that would have been better suited for a Halloween night performance. The eight women, clad in black negligees and leggings with white, gauze-like face scarves, danced to score excerpts from The Exorcism of Emily Rose and Nox Arcana. They also panted, screamed, and writhed on the floor as if possessed themselves. I felt it was an awkward and disturbing exhibition. There were pauses in the music and blackouts as dancers ran on and off the stage or changed positions, but more often than not, the lights were miscued, coming back on before the dancers had settled into place. The second part was effective though because of the interesting partnering sequences using elastic bands.

The evening began and ended with shorter, stand-alone pieces ranging from solos and duets to group works. The highlight of these was The Waiting Place danced by Tate. The compact Tate started the piece a cappella, gliding around the stage but always coming back to a single chair that was strategically placed by dancer Mallory Gittemeier. She displayed some beautiful lines and made great use of the space. As Pearl & the Beard’s nostalgic lyrics and folksy tune set in, she maintained a consistent relationship to the chair which seemed to have a magnetic pull on her, forcing her to return and ponder.

The ensemble was stuck on remaining serious, exhibiting no changes in sentiment. This held them back in the more carefree pieces Barbapapa’s Groove and Batuni. Excitement and drive were missing from many of the selections as well, including Burning in the Distance and Blackbirds. In Reaction and With Me the choreography seemed to suffer from over-rehearsal. When playing on or responding to the movements of others, a sense of freshness and risk is essential, otherwise the delivery is forced and fabricated.

Overall, the choreography was a grab bag of jazz and modern performed at a mediocre level. Too many fundamental elements of modern style were lacking and there was dispartity in the overall technical level. As Kacico continues in this transitional period, they have the potential and a lot of work ahead of them if they want to be more than a local, amateur group.

REVIEW:
Kacico Dance
Transition
Friday, November 12, 2010
Gem Theater
1615 E 18th St., Downtown Kansas City
For more information visit http://kacicodance.org/

Top photo: Lindsay Spilker Tate by Center Stage Photography

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.