Oberon's Grove: Lydia Johnson Dance @ Ailey Citigroup Theater

Thursday July 16, 2009 - After watching Lydia Johnson's dancers working in the studio and then attending their dress rehearsal, tonight Kokyat and I went to the performance at Ailey Citigroup Theater. Lydia had an almost-full house and her dancers, who have looked so good in rehearsal, upped the level tonight with some really committed, passionate and - in the Dean Martin piece - witty dancing. Lydia's troupe boasts unique personalities who function smoothly as a team but who constantly remind us of their individuality. Above: Lisa Iannacito, Tammi Shamblin and Laura DiOrio in DUSK. Some of the dancers appeared in all four works, each of which is demanding physically and emotively. (All photos: Kokyat. A click on each image enlarges it).

DUSK, a new work to music of Henryk Gorecki, begins with five women in somber black dresses; their movement has a ritualistic feel. They are observed by the men who soon enter into the dance. Later the women's black outer garments come off to reveal white-skirted leotards. Two couples have extended duet passages: Jessica Sand and Eric Vlach, and Kerry Shea and John-Mark Owen. Three women - Laura DiOrio, Lisa Iannacito and Tammi Shamblin - return in the black gowns; they seem to be Fates, moving in stylized unity behind the two couples. In the first movement, the jangling sound of Gorecki's harpsichord creates a 'busy' feeling which becalms itself in the second movement, set to part of the composer's String Quartet, Already It Is Dusk. The lighting by Renee Molina enhances Lydia's imaginative choreography and illuminates the individual beauty of the dancers.

IN CONVERSATION looked fine in the studio and lovely at the dress rehearsal but tonight it really packed an emotional wallop as the four dancers immersed themselves in the music: the poignantly pulsating Philip Glass Violin Concerto. As the two couples - Kerry Shea with John-Mark Owen and Jessica Sand partnered by Robert Robinson - enter the women are lifted in the first of many poetic images which flow thru this dreamscape of dance.

Kerry Shea is tall and serene; she seems cool at first but in fact she is a passionate dancer and later, when she lets her hair down, a lovely vulnerable aspect comes into play. Kerry shone with her special magnetism all evening: her long limbs, pale complexion and auburn-tinged tresses are complimented by John-Mark's strong physique. His shaved head and vivid features could seem sinister at first look but John-Mark's dancing is suffused with warmth.

Jessica Sand was the first of Lydia's dancers to lure me in when I saw them at a studio presentation earlier this year. Aside from being extremely pretty (think Alexandra Ansanelli) she is the kind of dancer I love to watch because her response to the music is both physical and emotional. Her body is ever-alert to the nuances of the score while her expressive face always registers a personal subtext in whatever she is dancing. Radiating a sense of calm, Robert Robinson compliments Jessica ideally; his personal mystique and quiet confidence as a partner constantly lure the eye.

With four such distinctive and dedicated dancers, and with the Glass score tearing at the heartstrings, IN CONVERSATION was for me one of the most moving dance experiences in the last decade.

Henryk Gorecki's music is also used in LAMENT, a work which revolves around a central male dancer: Jeremy Smith (above, in rehearsal with Jessica Sand). The spirituality of the music and the ecstatic feeling of the final Amen section could suggest a Christ-like aspect of Jeremy's 'character' - and allusions to the Pieta abound as Jessica cradles Jeremy's swooning form. I must say that Lydia is fortunate to have six very fine and highly individual male dancers in her troupe; Jeremy's fluid style of movement and his expressive features kept our focus on him throughout LAMENT.

In addition to Jessica Sand's clarity in both her solo and in her partnering of Jeremy, the lyrical appeal of Eric Vlach made a vivid impression here as he danced with Jeremy in a duet of mutual support and quiet affection. Among the many attractive aspects of LAMENT was a solo passage for Robert Robinson in which his softly sustained balances amplified the other-worldly quality of the music. Moving with radiant grace among her colleagues, Kerry Shea seemed like a priestess or an angel of inspiration. As a supportive trio, Jennifer Lott, Laura DiOrio and Lisa Iannicito maintained the mood of spirituality with their musically attentive dancing.

In the concluding DREAM SEQUENCE, the girls wear slinky-stylish-leggy dresses in gorgeous hues and the boys are in dress shirts and black trousers. As Dean Martin sings eights songs from his big-band rep, the dancers appear in pairs (Kerry Shea and John-Mark Owen, above) solos and ensembles that have an after-hours feel. I'm never sure how I will react to dance works created to pop music - even if it's pop classics like Dino's - but DREAM SEQUENCE works beautifully. It's laced with playful, sexy innuendo and small vignettes of relationships that are never be-laboured. And, it's full of dancing.

R. Colby Damon swirls the girls around (above) and then cuts loose with some flying combinations; his style is jazzy and assured in Promises and Imagination. Lisa Iannacito, luscious in deep violet, and Robert Robinson are propulsive and romantic in Heaven Can Wait while Eric Vlach and Jessica Sand (in ruby red) are having a lovers spat in the quirky Mean To Me (they actually don't resolve it til the finale). Kerry Shea and John-Mark Owen open the work with the breezy Just In Time and later appear in the sarcastic Please Don't Talk About Me (When I'm Gone); they have the ballroom style down pat.

The male ensemble (Marcos Vedoveto, Robert Robinson, Colby Damon and Eric Vlach) danced to impress the girls (Jennifer Kelbe, Laura DiOrio, and Jennifer Lott) who are perfectly content to strike Vogue-attitude poses on their own. But then everyone comes together for Ain't That A Kick In the Head.

The Company in DREAM SEQUENCE.

In addition to her talents as a dancer, Jessica Sand designed the costumes for three of the four works.

It was nice to find Kokyat's photos had been printed and framed; they were displayed on the ticket counter. At the end we stayed among the crowd to congratulate Lydia and to enjoy the moment when some of the dancers emerged from the elevator (with flowers) and won a warm round of applause.

Always fun to run into my fellow blogger, Taylor Gordon who recently celebrated the second anniversary of Off Center. Congratulations,Taylor!