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IN REVIEW: Morris Group Brings Multi-faceted Program to Harriman-Jewell Series

Mark Morris is one of the great innovators of American dance, but his works rarely have what you would call “the shock of the new.” In fact his choreography is so deftly and intuitively attuned to the music that it often has an almost organic feel to it, a naturalness that grows from both musicality and sharp visual perception. These qualities were amply on display at the wide-ranging program by the Mark Morris Dance Group on September 28that the Kauffman Center, presented by the organization that has been a powerful force in bringing the world’s best dance to Kansas City, the Harriman-Jewell Series.The program included four works spanning three decades, from the Canonic ¾ Studies of 1982 to the Festival Dancefrom 2011, yet what stood out was the extent to which they all felt “of a piece.”

Canonic ¾ Studies is a bright and witty exploration of various types of triple meter, from lilting waltzes to Baroque-like processions, set to Harriet Cavalli’s piano arrangement of various pieces in ¾ time. The nine dancers are dressed in black tights and white shirts, the simplicity of which is underscored by the straightforward lighting design of James F. Ingalls. Dancers begin a move, then lose balance and gently fall – but the fall is so smooth it doesn’t hurt! They perform Karate chops, slither on the floor, hop like bunnies, vamp like Buster Keaton. There’s a cockeyed pas de deux, and later a ballet-like slow dance is interrupted when the dancers lean too far forward and again lose balance. Or they take off on a series of squats, then pause and turn to repeat the move in the other direction. The piece drew considerable laughter throughout, and it’s easy to see why: This is Morris’ comic vein at its most virtuosic, a tour de force that remains profoundly fun to watch yet helps enhance our sense of just how varied music in ¾ time can be. Pianist Colin Fowler played Harriet’s arrangements with intensity from the pit: Mark always travels with musicians who perform live with the company.

Rock of Ages from 2004 is cut from different cloth, its charm growing from both grace and sensuousness. Four dancers in purples and blues (Rita Donahue, Maile Okamura, Noah Vinson, Michelle Yard) dance together or in pairs; sometimes they go off alone, unsure of themselves, all the while continuing to cast significant glances back to the others:  Should we to dance together or not? When the music turns upbeat so does the movement, when it grows louder the movements get broader. Finally the four join in unison again, then again separate one by one. Why Rock of Ages? The Adagio from Schubert’s E-flat major Piano Trio, performed beautifully from the pit, contains a melodic snippet that sounds strikingly like the opening of the hymn by that title. It may seem a stretch, but perhaps the “rock” is the strength of the group as opposed to the uncertainly of being on one’s own.

Silhouettes (1990) is a sort of serio-comic duet between two men (Aaron Loux and Domingo Estrada, Jr.), who from the outset are dressed in a pajama-like outfit with a twist: One is wearing the bottoms, the other the top. Set to a piece by the same title byRichard Cumming (again performed by Colin), the five-movement work contains much of Mark’s trademark “stand on one leg, then lose your balance.” Concord and discord are juxtaposed: Are they fighting, or just being playful? The fourth movement turns dark and jazzy; the dancers jog about and sometimes stop to explode into hyperactive flailing. The last movement sees the pair finally perform in impressive unison – briefly, almost reluctantly.

The music of the early-Romantic composer Johann Nepomuk Hummel once seemed destined for the ashheap of history, but it has made strides in recent years. Still, Mark remains one of the few choreographers to have taken it on. Hummel’s Piano Trio No. 5 is full of busy, kinetic energy, and it proved to be ideal for the MMDG’s young, mirthful dancers. The opening duet, which has an almost ballroom flavor, introduces the material; during the music’s “development section” more and more dancers enter, to thicken the plot. The “recapitulation” is an actual recap of the opening section, a reflection again of Mark’s attention to musical detail. The Andante movement, which the composer dubs a march, features a lead couple supported by five pairs.  The corps vies for attention, in balletic patterns that merge into, and emerge from, each other, but the lead couple holds its sway. The finale (Polka) is a sort of rustic spring dance, with dancers breaking into pairs though not always with the same person. It features balletic turns and lifts (sometimes the women lift the men!) juxtaposed with looser configurations that despite being playful are at times enormously variegated and complex.

To reach Paul Horsley, performing arts editor, send email to phorsley@sbcglobal.net.

Paul Horsley, Performing Arts Editor 

Paul studied piano and musicology at WSU and Cornell University. He also earned a degree in journalism, because writing about the arts in order to inspire others to partake in them was always his first love. After earning a PhD from Cornell, he became Program Annotator for the Philadelphia Orchestra, where he learned firsthand the challenges that non profits face. He moved to KC to join the then-thriving Arts Desk at The Kansas City Star, but in 2008 he happily accepted a post at The Independent. Paul contributes to national publications, including Dance Magazine, Symphony, Musical America, and The New York Times, and has conducted scholarly research in Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic (the latter on a Fulbright Fellowship). He also taught musicology at Cornell, LSU and Park University.

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