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

Above: Craig Hall and Laura Di Orio in Lydia Johnson's Night and Dreams, photo by Dmitry Beryozkin

Author: Oberon

Wednesday June 5th, 2019 - Earlier this Spring, on March 29th, I marked the tenth anniversary of seeing Lydia Johnson's choreography for the first time. Over the ensuing decade, thru the generosity of Lydia and her dancers, I've gotten as close to dance as one can get without actually dancing. Thru them, I've learned that observing the process is as meaningful - if not more so - than seeing the finished product.

This year's Lydia Johnson Dance program featured two large-scale works: a premiere, Clearing, set to solo piano music by Philip Glass, which includes a unique section for ten women; and a revival of Undercurrent, set to a score by Henryk Górecki, and with a cast that includes young students from Lydia's school. Undercurrent - with its joyous folk-dance finale - caused audiences to cheer vociferously at last season's premiere performances. And they cheered again tonight.

On a more intimate scale, Lydia's poignant 2013 ballet, Night and Dreams, set to Schubert lieder, brought a guest appearance by Craig Hall - the former New York City Ballet soloist who is now a Ballet Master with that revered Company - dancing with Lydia Johnson Dance's Laura Di Orio. Trio Sonatas, to music of Handel, rounded out the program with its delightful Baroque score.

How gratifying to see a packed house for this engaging program of dance. There was a lot of buzz and enthusiasm; friends of the dancers had come to cheer on their favorites, and people who had not experienced Lydia's work before seemed genuinely pleased.

Clearing opened the evening. Some folks feel that there are already too many danceworks set to the music of Philip Glass; I say that too much of a good thing is never enough. There is a great deal of variety in his music, both of pacing, of harmonics, and of colour - and dancers seem to have a natural affinity for moving to Glass.

Duets are a major factor in Clearing; three couples take on a series of pas de deux that are alive with Lydia's signature affinity for distinctive partnering:

Above: Laura Di Orio and Chazz Fenner-McBride, longtime colleagues, form an effortless partnership in a duet that introduces many of the port de bras motifs that will be seen throughout Clearing...and, subtly, throughout the evening.

Above: During their duet, Jacob Taylor and Katie Martin-Lohiya face the audience side by side and speak to us in a gestural language that brings to mind Madonna's immortal Vogue.

Above: Min Kim and Malik Williams, in their duet, run a gamut of emotions. Two beautiful and expressive movers, they even do a bit of waltzing.

Above: Malik Williams, Chazz Fenner-McBride, and Jacob Taylor in a rare moment of stillness. Jacob Taylor and Malik Williams are both dancing with Lydia Johnson Dance for the first time. Jacob's ballet background shines thru in his lyricism and quiet passion, whilst Malik's charismatic presence, strength, and grace make him invaluable. Chazz Fenner-McBride, a pillar of Lydia's company and now in his sixth season with LJD, is a consummate dance artist: confident and inspiring confidence as a partner, he dances with boundless energy and a deep sense of commitment.

Above: Chazz Fenner-McBride, Laura Di Orio, and the ensemble in Clearing

The duet passages for these couples are blended with lovely intrusions from a bevy of white-clad women: Erin Ginn, Catherine Gurr, Michelle Siegel, Ali Block, Estelle Botella, and Emily Sarkissian. As the first two movements of Clearing come to an end, these dancers change to black costumes to join Antonia Garcia Cárdenas and Mlles. Di Orio, Martin-Lohiya, and Kim in an extraordinary finale.

Above: the final movement of Clearing. Here the ten women join in a stylized ensemble, striking poses from the world of fashion and cinema, or celebrating sisterhood in moments of mutual support or consolation. Renée Molina's lighting here (all evening, actually!) was a key element of the overall visual effect.

Clearing

Laura Di Orio and Emily Sarkissian in Clearing

Clearing ends with the ten women in silhouette. All photos from Clearing by Dmitry Beryozkin.

Above: in Trio Sonatas, Laura Di Orio, Min Kim, Katie Martin-Lohiya, and Chazz Fenner-McBride; photo by Julie Lemberger

Lydia's Handel ballet, Trio Sonatas, was expertly danced by a central quartet - Laura Di Orio, Katie Martin-Lohiya, Min Kim, and Chazz-Fenner McBride - and an ensemble of distinctive dancers: Erin Ginn, Catherine Gurr, Michelle Siegel, Ali Block, Jacob Taylor, and Malik Williams.

The slow movement of this work brings an interesting feeling of "living statues" as the four principals strike poses. To livelier music, Ali Block and Chazz Fenner-McBride played a charming game of catch-and-swirl. It was during this ballet, in fact, that Chazz showed his flair for catching any ballerina who hurtles towards him.

So much more than a corps de ballet: these four lovely women made a fine impression in Trio Sonatas. From left: Michelle Siegel, Ali Block, Erin Ginn, and Catherine Gurr. Photo courtesy of Ali Block.

During Night and Dreams, an extraordinary atmosphere of silent attentiveness filled the hall as the combination of Ian Bostridge's haunting voice, the poetic choreography, and the serene dancing drew us away from the madding world and into Schubert's sanctuary of illusive romance and tenderness.

This ballet for me blooms from one particular line in 'Du bust die ruh', the first of the songs: "You are the longing, and what makes it cease." These words stay with me throughout the piece.

Night and Dreams features a principal couple who weave their ongoing pas de deux like a silver thread thru the entire ballet. Impeccably danced by Laura Di Orio and guest artist Craig Hall (above, in a Julie Lemberger photo), their recurring duet passages were breathtaking to watch, and the entire audience seemed spellbound by the beauty and tenderness of their partnership.

Above and below: Julie Lemberger's images of Laura Di Orio and Craig Hall in NIGHT AND DREAMS

Laura and Craig established a deep rapport very early in the rehearsal process; responding to the ebb and flow of passion in the Schubert songs - and the evocative colours of the tenor's voice - they savoured the ardour and the urgency that Lydia's choreography embodies in this, one of her most moving works.

Surrounding this central pair, other dancers in the cast of the Schubert had their moments to shine...and shine they did.

Here are some of Dmitry Beryozkin's images from Night and Dreams:

Dreamers: Michelle Siegel, Chazz Fenner-McBride, Min Kim, Malik Williams, Erin Ginn, Catherine Gurr, and Katie Martin-Lohiya

Solo: Chazz Fenner-McBride

Duet: Malik Williams and Chazz Fenner-McBride

Craig Hall, Laura Di Orio in Night and Dreams

Above: from Undercurrent, the evening's grand finale; photo by Dmitry Beryozkin

From its sharply accented - almost alarming - start, Henryk Górecki's score entitled 'Three Dances' makes a fascinating setting for Lydia's powerful and (in the end) entertaining ballet, Undercurrent.

Above: Laura Di Orio, Chazz Fenner-McBride, Min Kim, and Catherine Gurr in Undercurrent; photo by Dmitry Beryozkin

Note: All Undercurrent photos by Dmitry Beryozkin.

The music provides three contrasting dance movements In the first, a feeling of bleakness seems all too well-suited to the current world situation. The music is dark and driven, with strokes of violent chords and an underlying sense of terror. There is a feeling of impending doom.

The second Górecki dance is the setting for some of the most emotional choreography of the evening. The music is pensive, uneasy, eerily mysterious. For all that, there's also a subtle feeling of hope. The dancing here - from the entire Company - was committed and resonant.

Above, Laura Di Orio and Chazz Fenner-McBride - who have literally danced all night (they wouldn't have it any other way) - surpassed themselves in their pas de deux here...

...whilst Jacob Taylor and Min Kim (above) formed a moving partnership in a duet of reverence and consolation.

After dancing exquisitely in Night and Dreams, Erin Ginn (above) took on a calming, nearly stationary solo in Undercurrent that had a thoughtful quality, beautifully expressed.

In the final pas de deux of this moving Andante cantabile, Katie Martin-Lohiya and Malik Williams (above) simply seemed destined to be dancing together.

In the finale of Undercurrent, the girls from Lydia's school join the dance. Three groups cross the stage with prancing steps, bowing and dipping, all done with a fine sense of musicality.