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For a company that has been receiving applause, meriting awards and setting standards for 55 years, it is hard to live up to previous performances each and every time. In almost six decades there are bound to be ups and downs, hits and misses and Paul Taylor Dance Company's Friday night program at the Carlsen Center was a mixture of both.

Brief Encounters is the company's newest piece of repertoire, performed only once prior to coming to Kansas City. It also was the only piece performed both nights; Saturday night's program offered up two different works from the Friday night perfomance. It was exciting to witness the piece's second showing - but it was evident that it was new. At times the dancers moved with hesitation and failed to remain cohesive, but their sincerity and vulnerability managed to make it a captivating performance overall.

The nonexistent scenery coupled with negligible costumes forced the eyes to focus solely on the dancers' every muscle movement. This rawness greatly juxtaposed Debussy's classical score, attune to a lot of contemporary works. The choreography of Brief Encounters rang very true to the name of the piece which contained a series of unions, reunions, intersections, conversations, disagreements and distractions. Overall, the women were more exciting than the men who moved effeminately despite their obvious muscular appearance. However, dancer Michael Trusnovec, the company's oldest member, did stand out for his acute strength and effortless execution.

The middle piece of the program, Scudorama, is one of Taylor's oldest works dating back to 1963. The premise of the work is a quote by Dante regarding the average person who, upon death, exists in the "black haze," perhaps purgatory. The frenetic music and chaotic choreography of Scudorama is somewhat reminiscent of The Rite of Spring, Nijinsky/Stravinsky's 1913 controversial Russian Pagan ballet. The piece had the potential of being very unique and engaging, but the idea was lost in translation between the continual entrances and exits, confusing costume changes and the abrupt ending. It proved difficult to remain both interested and informed.

Taylor cleverly closed the show with the most amusing work, Offenbach Overtures, a parody of classical ballet. The dancers displayed their light-hearted personalities well, but did not always back them up with adequate technique. It was evident that they were pretending to make mistakes, but they should have augmented the laughs with skill - and I didn't always see that. The women's black tights with red shoes were distracting and called attention to the dancers' lack of extending their feet. Still, the piece was charming and entertaining especially for those familiar with classical ballet. High points included the corps women trying to upstage each other and the lead couple failing to be execute an elegant pas de deux, but the best section was the back-and-forth, over-the-top fight scene between four male dancers.

Paul Taylor dancers are known for their incredible strength and stamina. They have the ability to be completely grounded and yet remain graceful, creating signature lines and unique shapes. Although the character of the third piece was an enjoyable escape, the exceptional movement quality of the first piece just could not be matched by the other two. Despite minor missteps and discordance, the legendary company executed another admirable, diverse and charming show.

REVIEW:
The Performing Arts Series at JCCC
Paul Taylor Dance Company
Friday, November 13, 2009
Carlsen Center at JCCC
12345 College Blvd, Overland Park, KS
For more information visit http://www.jccc.edu/home/depts.php/001440/site/ChronList0910

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.