RSS 2.0 FeedNovember 2008, Dance
An impressive show draws a large audience
This year's Choreofest 2008 treated audiences to an impressive array of choreography by both well-known artists in the field and dance faculty, performed heroically by the latest remarkable group of students in the dance program.
UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance annual Choreofest Fall Concert treated audiences to an impressive array of choreography by both well-known artists in the field and dance faculty, performed heroically by the latest remarkable group of students in the dance program. Patrons turned out in large numbers on November 7 and 8, filling White Recital Hall nearly to capacity for both nights.
Each year, Conservatory dance students seem to get better, both coming into the program and going out. And this year's ensemble were true to form. Although these young dancers can sometimes get rattled and make minor errors, on the whole, their technique and performances were quite good and are at least competitive with local semi-professional dance groups.
The Conservatory's Dance Division has a good reputation for quality teaching and producing professional-ready dancer. It has really blossomed in recent years under the leadership of Mary Pat Henry and Paula Weber, and with the generous support of former Conservatory Dean, Randall Pembrook. And their efforts have certainly paid off. The UMKC Dance Program was recently academically accreditedon the whole. And so is the choreography that the dance students are performing.
Choreofest 2008 included performances of choreography by Robert Battle, Mary Pat Henry, DeeAnna Hiett, Sabrina Madison-Cannon, Paula Weber, Rodni Williams, and Twyla Tharp. The student arrangement of a popular Tharp work was quite competently performed by Chloe Abel, under the auspices of William Whitener, artistic director of the Kansas City Ballet.
The show opened with Off Center, choreographed by Paula Weber to the music by Kenji Bunch. This was a fun, contemporary ballet performed in white shorts and medium-length tutus. Entertaining and engaging, this ensemble piece gave the show a lively, light-hearted start.
The next piece on the program was In the Midst of.... Choreographed by modern dance faculty, Rodni Williams, to music by Full Circle and Diane Reeves, this dark, moody piece was a barefoot modern composition along the lines of Alvin Ailey with a dash of Alwin Nikolai, but in a style unique to Williams. The number was performed in skirts composed of ragged strips, under high-contrast earth-tone lights reminiscent of firelight. The Williams' work was effectively primal and woeful.
Next on the program was a delightful sextet, Cappriccio, choreographed by Conservatory Assistant Dean, Mary Pat Henry. Borrowing from the court dances of the Renaissance, Henry used steps that later became the roots for the classical ballet. Using the Renaissance forms of the Galliard and Volte as a character motif, Henry skillfully wove classical ballet steps into the court dance structure. It was choreographed to music by Carlo Farina, but performed by jazz violinist, Noel Pointer, giving the piece an added dose of whimsy.
The Twyla Tharp piece, Torelli, was arranged by a very promising student Chloe Abel, a junior in the dance program. No stranger to contemporary music, she is the daughter of famed KC jazz musician, Milt Abel. She distinguished herself early as a student at the Kansas City Ballet School, and was hand-picked by William Whitener, artistic director for the Kansas City Ballet to assist him when he reconstructed the Twyla Tharp piece, Deuce Coupe. She performed a section of it for the KC Ballet's Spring show last year. As a result, Abel was asked to teach the Torelli choreography to KC Ballet School students over the summer, which then lead to the opportunity to set the choreography for UMKC dance students. This was a task of extraordinary responsibility and skill for one so young, and speaks well to her abilities as future dancer, choreographer and dance mistress.
Abel was true to the Tharp style and timing, using all the dancers available to her in typical Tharp staging. The Tharp technique uses very natural movements in a style of choreography that overlapping layers of ensemble work one atop the other, making a very complicated, busy motif. It uses lots of dancers moving in lots of directions simultaneously, with overlapping vignettes. Despite the complexity, Chloe Abel and her dancers managed to pull off the intricate choreography with great enthusiasm, making a fine showing.
After the intermission, the show reopened with Igor Stravinsky's Ebony Concerto, played live by members of the UMKC Conservatory's Music and Wind Ensemble, conducted by Steven D. Davis and featuring Dr. Jane Carl as clarinet soloist. This barefoot modern piece was performed by a small ensemble of dancers dressed in brown unitards, and was a wonderful abstract interpretation of Stravinsky's stirring music.
Ironically, the next number was a contemporary ballet ensemble work, White, choreographed again by Dance Division Chair, Paula Weber. This was an award-winning piece that originally had been choreographed in 2004 for the Regional Dance Craft of Choreography Conference. It was a large ensemble piece with two couples dancing duets and a corps de ballet of 12 women, all in dressed in white leotards and tops. The choreography was very flowing and breezy, and because of the large number of dancers, by necessity, the choreography was also very tight and very coordinated.
Next on the program was a new arrangement of DeeAnna Hiett's outstanding work, Passage, set to music by Vas and Micky Hart. A recent recipient of the Charlotte Street Award, DeeAnna Hiett is returning after recovering from a serious knee injury last season to the Conservatory as tenured faculty in modern dance. Typical of Hiett's style, her choreography was performed in loincloths and panel skirts, which complimented the choreography. A barefoot modern piece set on three couples, this dance was exciting, stirring, primal, and very visual, bearing the distinct stamp of Hiett. A great crowd pleaser, the work received sustained applause and much yelling of approval.
Last on the program was Battlefields, choreographed by Robert Battle. Battle's dance group recently presented a dance concert at the Conservatory and agreed to work with students in a master class.
True to Battle's style (and his namesake), Battlefields was very militaristic and incorporated movements very suggestive of Battle's martial arts background. Many of the movements were counter-intuitive, and left the viewer guessing what the next move would be. It was also very energetic and athletic choreography requiring a great deal of stamina to execute. According to dance mistress, Sabrina Madison-Cannon, the stamina was probably the greatest challenge the piece presented to the students.
Battlefields was performed by a large ensemble of 18 dancers dressed in black pants and tops. It opened with the haze of artificial smoke under lighting that was very suggestive of a war-time scene in the trenches. This was a very strong piece set to very aggressive, percussive music by Les Tamboures Du Bronx. Caught up in the excitement of the sound of the music and the vivid imagery, the crowd responded with long, enthusiastic applause.
The concert was a high-powered evening of dance, competently executed by the UMKC students. Audiences should eagerly look forward to next year's Choreofest concert.
REVIEW
UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance presents
Choreofest 2008
Friday, November 7 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, November 8 at 7:30 p.m.
White Recital Hall, PAC, UMKC, KCMO
Photo by Mike Strong, KCDance.com
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