Tuesday July 29, 2008 - Rob and I met up with Tonya at the Joyce for a performance by Battleworks, the Company of former David Parsons dancer Robert Battle. (Above, dancers Kanji Segawa and Tyler Gilstrap in a Tom Caravaglia photo). The last time I saw Robert Battle he was standing on the stage of the Bushnell in Hartford being showered by a flurry of money at the end of the Parsons piece THE ALMIGHTY.
As with Parsons Dance and Takehiro Ueyama's TAKE Dance, one can trace Battle's style back to Paul Taylor as the 'grandfather' of these three Companies; yet each group has its distinctive flavor. One thing all three choreographers have in common is a keen sense of the energy of the music they use, and a knack for setting pieces one might not immediately think of as 'danceable'.
The Battleworks roster boasts some beautiful, powerful dance personalities such as Erika Pujic (above in a Tom Caravaglia photo). Her solo in the final movement of OVERTURE had a profound, weighted quality. She was an audience favorite and deserved every bit of the acclaim: a striking presence.
Kanji Segawa (photographed by Tom Caravaglia) also had an extended solo passage in OVERTURE which displayed his physical virtuosity as well as the lyrical quality of his dancing.
In the opening REEL TIME with it's percussive score featuring gongs and chimes, Samuel Roberts (photo) reveled in the athletic, relentless movement that marks Battle's approach to rhythmic passages. Roberts' astounding back flips and his reckless hurtling thru space and onto the floor was as risky as it was exciting. (In fact throughout the evening, Battle frequently sends his dancers crashing to the floor with complete abandon.)
Later, Samuel showed the fluidity and expressiveness of his body (laced with a vein of vulnerability) as he danced to Nina Simone throbbingly passionate vocalism in IN/SIDE. In the solo ELLA, another vocal phenomenon, Ella Fitzgerald, was featured in a non-stop grand "scat-aria" in which she sailed up and down her incredible range and tossed in snatches pop songs and even a Christmas carol while dancer Marlena Wolfe provided a visual interpretation with boundless energy and quirky humor. (Photos of Simone and Fitzgerald).
OVERTURE, to J.S. Bach, and JUBA with a 'live' quintet of musicians playing John Mackey's score were especially enjoyable. Contributing to the visual attractions of both were costumes by former David Parsons dancer Mia McSwain. She created long skirts for the women in OVERTURE and peasant-style outfits for the four dancers in JUBA. Excellent lighting (Burke Wilmore) greatly enhanced these works.
In OVERTURE the dancers moved slowly (even at times when the musical tempo might have dictated otherwise) against a changing back-panel (violet, pale olive, blue), frequently falling to the ground as if oppressed by sorrow; occasional interruptions of an almost spastic nature keep the work fascinating. It was superbly danced, with the aforementioned solos by Kanji Segawa and Erika Pujic creating powerfully poetic images.
Kanji, Erika and Samuel were joined by George Smallwood in the folk-inspired JUBA with its relentlessly bouncing motifs. The dancing was non-stop and somewhat stylized, with a very brief adagio (oddly reminiscent musically of BUGAKU) before plunging back into the energized rhythms. The excellent drummer Damien Bassman set the pace for the very accomplished string players: Suzy Perelman, Lyris Hung, Alissa Smith and Kirsten Jerme. The live music added immeasurably to the joy of watching the dancers, bringing the evening to a rousing conclusion. The performers and Mr. Battle were warmly hailed by the full house.
Many thanks to Michelle, Lydia and the friendly house staff at the Joyce; it's always a pleasure to watch dance there.
I went to see this performance and Samuel's dancing was what inspired me to finally believe and take hold that I would dance seriously and passionately. Absolutely life changing dance.
Posted by: Alex | August 09, 2009 at 03:40 AM
Alex, I really love your comment and to know that dancers inspire other dancers with their performances. Samuel Roberts was so perfect in this performance, a summation of the beauty and power of the body in motion.
Posted by: Philip | August 09, 2009 at 11:02 AM