Nazareth College Arts Center: Critics' Blog

Garth Fagan Dance Better Than Ever / Kylee Pike

The energy going into the Garth Fagan Dance performance Friday night set the tone for the entire evening.  With such a supportive and devoted fan base, it truly felt as if the dancers were giving a gift of appreciation in their performances, which was evident from the moment Norwood “PJ” Pennewell appeared on the stage.

The evening began with Prelude, which was a great introduction to the company for first time viewers.  Starting with very precise arm and leg actions, the energy in the movement and choreography grew with lively passes through the space.  Perhaps the most impressive part of Prelude was the turning sequence on the diagonals.   Adding quick arms and speed, the difficulty of the chaine turns intensified and it brought excitement to the piece, which transferred to the audience.

Senku, the second piece of the program, was one of my favorites choreographically.  I enjoyed the musical interpretation of both sections, “Talking Drums” and “Talk: Ms./Mrs,” and the subtle humor in the beginning of the female duet.  Vitolio Jeune’s solo performance in this piece revealed how far he has come since So You Think You Can Dance.  On the reality competition, Jeune was known for his incredible height in his jumps.  While he still has this ability, he has become much more.  In his short time with the company, he appears to have grown as a technician and a performer, a testament to the leaders of the company.  In addition, Nicolette Depass and Lynet Rochelle beautifully performed the second section of Senku.  The veteran GFD dancer led the conversation in a call and response that eventually brought the two together.

The other pieces in the performace, DanceCollageFor Romie, Mudan 175/39 and Translation Transition also showcased what GFD dancers are known for: extreme jumps and leaps, difficult extensions and balances and humorous interaction.  As I watched the performance I kept thinking how wonderful it was to see recently added company members dancing with those who have been with the company since the beginning.  There appears to be a give and take amongst the dancers and I believe the company looks better than ever.

A Gift of Beauty / Thomas Warfield, Assistant Professor – NTID/RIT and Artistic Director – PeaceArt International

 

No one should miss Garth Fagan Dance! If you live in Rochester- where we’re blessed to have this award winning internationally famous dance company call home – there is no excuse for not being there, supporting and celebrating this jewel and national treasure. The NY Times calls GFD "..brilliant" -the brilliance is not only the choreographer's masterly abstraction of dance unveiling human condition & interaction or the exceptionally expressive, agile and confident dancers but for us, the audience, it's one of those brilliant art experiences that transform our lives.

I took my mother with me this evening. She, like I, have been there since the beginning, though admittedly I was barely 8 years old at that first Fagan (“Bottom of the Bucket…But) Dance performance. I admit I don’t remember it very well. But over these 39yrs I have come to recognize the indomitable Fagan movement, composition and style. Tonight’s opening dance Prelude from 1981 was the quintessential Fagan work. Maybe because I’ve watched this dance more than a dozen times over the years I felt I knew what to look for and where it was leading, but that is exactly what choreographer Garth Fagan does not do – predictability. He forges a new path every time. Norwood Pennewell burst out onto the stage suspended, in controlled frenzy, in demand of the space not just around him but all space in the theatre. He is an artist whose craft, skill, talent and spirit blend into one kaleidoscope of svelte and strength. By the time Nicolette Depass enters the scene waving arms, gyrating hips, lengthening one leg high in the air then the other we feel reborn – as if our own limbs and spirits are dancing on stage and climbing the heights along with the dancers. Each one of the sculpted, muscle toned and intricately skilled dancers lead us viscerally with their movement explosion.

 

Agelessly present

A sea of undulation - faces and turns

Torso flat, release, contract

Going down curved, bent and graced

To finally arise inhibition unlaced.

 

Fagan technique is sprinkled with ballet, jazz, and Afro-Caribbean dance. Graham and Dunham techniques peer through as well. I’ve often wondered where would Martha Graham’s technique be had Katherine Dunham not gone to the West Indies and brought back the iconic African in and out torso movement of contraction and release that Graham based her technique on? But that discussion is for another time.

Senku (2006) and Dancecollageforromie (2003) rounded out the first half both of these dances I believe I’ve written about previously. But Vitolio Jeune’s solo in Senku has to be mentioned here because his molded precision and genuine concentration kept the audience rapt and transfixed from beginning to end. The female duet and the solo are gems in terms of compositional structure and form. The seamless way Garth Fagan contours the space and interweaves the different dance idioms captivates and invites those watching to want to explore the creative expression before them. Mudan 175/39 with exceptionally beautiful lighting design by C.T. Oakes premiered with live music played by the Ying Quartet in September at the Nazareth Arts Center Gala. This second viewing, like the first (see my September blog), was enchanting in its simplicity and layered meanings  filtered through Chinese music and African inspired movements.  Khama Kgari danced his solo with both abandonment and assurance and with such ballon that it appeared he never touched the ground. In the 3rd movement the way the dancers moved and were costumed brings to mind a morning I once had in China waking up to the divergent sights and sounds of the city, like a bed of multicolored flowers all unique, powerful, singular, choosing their own way and yet somehow in harmony with all that was around them, aligned, balanced. One Dance! The final of the evening was the 2002 audience favorite Translation Transition. I dare say here that this may not be a Fagan masterpiece but does contain the signature Fagan movement – isolations, pirouettes with hip circles, the quick petit battement followed by sudden lagato or motionless energy -always astonishing and ever giving, The audience gave too..ovation after ovation. I can barely wait to see this all again; to experience the rebirth, the translation, the transition, the transformation!

 

 

Rich Program True to Core Concepts / Carol White Llewellyn, The Finger Lakes Travel Maven

I have long been a fan of Garth Fagan Dance and it never fails to amaze me that each piece starts out as dance and within a few short movements, turns into mesmerizing magic. On Thursday night, I experienced that magic taken to a new level.

The performance began with Landscape for 10, a revival of a 1988 work performed to “Violin Concerto,” by Brahms.  This piece expresses the complexity of love and human relationships by fusing liquid sensuality and Fagan’s trademark feats of balance and athletic agility throughout. 

In the next section, the audience was treated to Fagan’s newest work, Mudan 175/39, commissioned by Nazareth College Arts Center in celebration of its newly-renovated theater.  Performed to live music by the inimitable Ying Quartet, from their album Dim Sum, the fusion of Chinese-inspired music and Mr. Fagan’s language of dance is a most arresting pairing. Throughout the composition, the sometimes melodic, sometimes atonal and staccato music is mirrored in the dance.  Lithe and lyrical movements are juxtaposed with passion, power and precision. In amazing feats of flight, the dancers ascend, slicing through the air in leaps that defy gravity. They hold positions few mortals can maintain, even as they are lifted and carried for repositioning on stage. In “Here,” composed by Tan Dun, Khama Kgari spins through space with a speed that dazzles. The entire composition – an intricate amalgam of solos, duets and group pieces – is a magnum opus for Mr. Fagan and his dancers.

In the revival of Oatka Trail, originally choreographed in 1979, Steve Humphrey (for whom the dance was created) and Norwood Pennewell reprise this classic. Joining them is talented newcomer and intern Travis St. Denny. The three offer a symphony of motion and agility, with the two seasoned performers bringing ripe virtuosity to the dance. 

The selections finished with “Light” from the suite of three dances in Life: Dark/Light, choreographed in 2005 to the jazz of Billy Bang. As the piece opens, Nicolette Depass strides confidently across the stage. Others enter, also intent upon reaching invisible destinations, busy with the occupations of daily life.  As the dancers’ paths begin to cross, their movement alters, becoming less predictable… incorporating turns, twists and leaps. They balance in precarious motion, interlace with each other, part, then continue on their path .  Here, then, is the dance metaphor for contemporary life. 

It was fascinating to see how Mr. Fagan’s choreography has expanded over the 30 years that this program covered, yet how true he remains to his chore concepts, and how rich a program he delivers. Although not all of the programs cover three decades, there is no doubt that audiences will experience the magic of each.

Virsky Company Takes Me Back 20 Years / Larissa Masny, Memorial Art Gallery Marketing Communications Coordinator

Friday night’s lecture and performance of Virsky Ukrainian National Dance Company at Nazareth College Arts Center left me with three major takeaways:

 

1.    Before you go to a performance, ask the box office if there is any related programming available. I found out that Nazareth College Arts Center was hosting a lecture one hour before the performance. The lecture was on the history of Ukrainian dance, and to my delight, the lecturer was my former dance instructor from 20 years ago! I learned the background of the very dances he taught us. His lecture was sincere, charming and thoughtful.

 

2.    Cultural performances give windows to your heritage’s values and history. They are a fantastic way to support your community and learn more about elements you were exposed to growing up by older generations, but maybe didn’t fully understand or appreciate. As an adult, you have the opportunity to seek out local cultural expressions of your heritage. Nazareth College Arts Center is an excellent source of such expression- they bring in performers from all corners of the globe.

 

3.    Friday’s performance at Nazareth College Arts Center re-opened my eyes to the excitement and beauty of dance. It brought me back two decades to how it felt to perform live the dances generations of Ukrainians have performed. It was a thrill to dance back then and almost equally a thrill now to experience the Virsky Ukrainian National Dance Company perform some of those same dances- especially the exhilaration of the complex choreography of the group dances coordinating from all angles of the stage, and the playful, competitive nature of the dance solos by the male dancers.