Stam-Pede: a Buffet of Dance Companies by Francine L
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Inside: Raleigh on Film; Bethune on Theatre; Behrens on Music; Seckel on the Cultural Scene; Hendler on the Long Island Art Scene; Cornelia Seckel Speaks Out about Insurance; Giovanni Boldini at the Clark Art Institute; New Art Books; Short Fiction & Poetry; Extensive Calendar of Events…and more! ART TIMES Vol. 26 No. 5 March/April 2010 Stam-Pede: a Buffet of Dance Companies By FrAncinE L. TrEvEnS on the sand. Dancing in her bare feet, It was one of the freezing sundays the sounds of her steps were soon cre- of early January. the lobby of sym- ated as the bubbles broke under her phony space in Manhattan was wall- continually more energetic dancing. to-wall people waiting to be admitted Her bravura performance was receiv- to the one-day only event, stam-Pede. ing applause when nic Petry arrived My companion noted lots of very stage left with a square , maybe 14”, tiny kids clustered around harried of bubble wrap, laid it on the ground parents and feared they would be dis- at his side of the stage, and was soon turbances in the audience. I assured dancing as vibrantly as amber, with her kids loved dance programs. I’d no- as much sound effects, in that much ticed for years how children reacted to constricted space. the audience musicals by squirming in their seats laughed and applauded and hooted or sliding to the floor and dancing. In their delight. truth, I suspected they would enjoy Many parents scooped up their the Gotham arts exchange, Inc.’s children and their belongings and sampler of dance companies more left during the intermission that than I would. followed. those of us who remained I booked to see the production were well rewarded. because it included thank You, Left to right: Chikako Iwahori, warren Craft, Max Pollak, Carson Murphy A little boy in front of us was deter- Gregory, a tribute to Gregory Hines (covered), Christelle Durandy, Lynn schwab, Dimitri Moderbacher (covered), Paul mined to stay to the end, not realizing and other legends of tap. as an old pal Carlon, Claudia Rahardjanoto, Gottfired stoger how long it was until then. He made of Greg’s, how could I resist? Boy, am longest segment of a long afternoon, won all those international awards (a it to the end, dozing off mere minutes I glad I did go. the program was long, but was wonderfully executed and special Citation from the Kurt Jooss before the final applause. over 2 ½ hours, but it was delightful, utterly enjoyable. awards Jury ((led by Pina Baush)) in Max Pollak’s Rumba tap started fun, exciting. a joy and that after I the Darrah Carr Dance Company essen, Germany ((2001)), a citation the second act with the audience had been complaining of how little joy followed, with some interesting takes as emerging Choreographer of note totally in the palm of Max Pollak’s I found anywhere these days. on traditional Irish dancing, includ- from the jury of the nijinsky awards hand! He clapped to a special beat the program consisted of perfor- ing step dancing. It was delightful in Monte Carlo ((2002)), among several times, and soon most of the mances from seven different arts seeing new variations on the old others.) Bang had originally been audience was clapping after him. the organizations. Its intention was to standard moves. the young dancers choreographed for Parker to perform clapping got more complicated, but whet the appetite for people to follow performed with precision and style with dancing partner Jeffrey Kazin. most of the audience followed along up on some of the companies perform- and a contagious exuberance, which Kazin did perform it that afternoon, well. then he made some strange ing. It was sort of a buffet of dance. made them a joy to watch. accompanied by nic Petry. they had vocal noises, which they also echoed. Thank You, Gregory used film Unaware of the International rep- the audience tittering with laughter I have always been thrilled when an and live performance in its tribute to utation of David Parker and the Bang and oohing with amazement at some audience gets into the tempo of what tap. the screen showed actual dance Group, I had no idea what to expect. of the incredible positions and juxta- is happening on stage, and this was a numbers, and a continually changing Being short, when the lights went up positions they created. masterstroke of that sort of audience montage of faces of former tap dance I at first did not realize the dancers The second number from this involvement. all three of the seg- stars of the screen, stage and tV. the were already on stage and at work, troupe was Bubble wrap. amber ments were masterfully performed – live dancers were excellent, and Jo- for they were lying prone. a leg of one sloan came out stage left with a six- Mongo t, Rumba tap and Big Chief. seph webb, with his interpretations lifted, then a leg of the other, soon one foot length of bubble wrap, which she the troupe added color and creativity of some of Greg Hines’ specialties, batted at the other’s leg, while the placed on the ground, rather as one to the day’s performances. was particularly breathtaking. other set the audience giggling when would put down a beach towel to lie Continued on Page 11 In addition to noting the strong en- he kissed the other man’s foot when thusiasms of the talented live danc- it was thrust in his face! then the ers, I noticed a modern phenomena. bodies were twisting and contorting CSS Publications, Inc. Support the Arts; Many dancers did not look like danc- and merging and mingling and strug- PO Box 730 Enrich your Life ers, their body types were chunky or gling against each other or leaning Mt. Marion, NY 12456-0730 even clunky — but their movements against each other. they could have www.arttimesjournal.com 845-246-6944 and skill belied their physicality. It been twins in utero. they could have took a while to be able to see beyond been children cavorting. they could the shapes of the performers to their have been erotic young lovers. what skill and grace, but their talents won they were overall, was stunning. no Subscribe to ART TIMES me over thank You, Gregory was the wonder choreographer David Parker ART-LITERATURE-DANCE-MUSIC-EXHIBITIONS-THEATRE-FILM-ART-LITERATURE-DANCE-MUSIC March/april 2010 aRt tIMes page 2 Peeks and Piques! ART TIMES YEARs aGo, wHEN I was still innocent of libraries, museums. this derstanding of the world in which we Commentary and Resource for the Fine & Performing Arts teaching english to Junior High is the factual truth yet I cannot but find ourselves. tapping once more aRt tIMes (Issn 0891-9070) is published bi- monthly by CSS Publications, Inc. with copies school students, I used to point to feel that my parents foisted a lie into the writings of Gasset, he pos- distributed along the northeast Corridor primarily one or two and ask them to “tell me a upon my formative years. and what its the theory that, at birth, we are throughout the Metropolitan and Hudson Valley Regions, Connecticut, Massachusetts and new lie”. taken aback, of course, by this was the truth behind that? and, as if shipwrecked in a sea of being, Jersey each month. Copies are also available by unconventional directive, there was while we’re at it, just where does the keeping ourselves “afloat” by grasp- mail to subscribers and arts organizations through- ing whatever flotsam and jetsam is out the Us and abroad. Copyright © 2010, Css hesitation at first, giggles and eye- politician’s “fact” fade from truth to Publications, Inc. glancing from side to side. tell a lie? falsehood? not that we — you are I near at hand — our parents, our lan- Publisher: Cornelia seckel as time passed, however, and I would or him or her — do not have — or guage, our village, our culture, our editor: Raymond J. steiner occasionally and unexpectedly spring ought to have — a point of view, belief system, our race, our nation- Contributing writers: my request on different classes, dif- whether it be legitimate or faulty. ality — but that none of these things Henry P. Raleigh Robert w. Bethune Ina Cole Dawn Lille ferent students, they loosened up, got to be human, to be homo sapient, are us. the individual, the “you”, is Frank Behrens Francine L. trevens “into it”. “today is sunday!” “It’s not is by definition to have a point of unique, sui generis, “shipwrecked” in Ginger Lee Hendler raining out!” or, from a braver sort, view…and this is no small thing. the world at a place and a time that subscription Rates: Usa: $18 /1 year $34 /2years “You’re handsome!” “I love Gram- Indeed, José ortega y Gasset, in his by all laws of nature is solely yours, Foreign: $35 /1 year $45 /2 years mar!” In due course, my ulterior The Revolt of the Masses (1932, w.w. an event that ensures your point of Contact for Print and online advertising Rates: motive became clearer as I pushed norton & Company, Inc.), shows all view is absolutely yours and no one Css Publications, Inc., Po Box 730, Mt. Marion, else’s. the trick is to know when it nY, 12456. Phone or Fax (845) 246-6944; them toward longer “lies”, had them too clearly how far from “sapient” email: [email protected] write a paragraph, and eventually we can become when we lose sight is your point of view and not one web site: www.arttimesjournal.com 150-word compositions, interweav- of our own vision, our own points of derived from the things you grasped Deadline for advertising is June 15 for Jul/aug; ing into my lesson plans the fine line view.