PAUL TAYLOR DANCE COMPANY TACKLES NEW WORKS & REVIVALS

Review by Celia Ipiotis

Two selections by Paul Taylor dip into his dark side, the socially conflicted side that questions humanity’s ability to be kind. Of course, these curdled takes on the break-down of civility, sadly suit the times. Oddly compelling, Cloven Kingdom choreographed in 1976 to a mixed score by Corelli, Cowell and Malloy Miller, follows genteel ladies in evening gowns and men in tuxes as they reject their outer refined skins to reveal their barely hidden bestial natures. Topped by large reflective head pieces designed by John Rawlings, the women strut and glide in a courtly manner, referencing Baroque style dance etiquette then dissolving into brawling leches.

In one of Cloven Kingdom’s classic sections, three men gang up in a simian dance of see no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil. They hop up on each others’ thighs, building a vertical, human pyramid. Generally, this hair-raising trio charges the audience into a heated state, but on opening night, the demanding synchronicity was off kilter, Still, the contours of an imaginative social statement remains.

Choreographed in 1985 to the music of familiar collaborator Donald York, Paul Taylor’s Last Look speeds nonstop, splintered by the tall long mirrors on stage (Alex Katz). Dressed in brightly colored, satiny dresses with men in same color shirts and pants, what starts off like a party converts to a frighteningly dystopian take on life. Pulled from Taylor’s dark roster of ballets, the frantic movement bursts in circular rings of angst-ridden leaps, arms spread back and heads up before cashing to the ground; roll and recover.

Pulling away from the crowd, the impressive John Harnage, spins en air, while racing from one edge of the space to the next in loping runs that subside into what might be a plea for grace. Nonstop action flings bodies into dark holes that shock the viewers into wondering if they will survive the meticulously calibrated chaos.

Bodies lurch towards one another, scraping shoulders hunched over low running leaps. Snapping heeled feet between men’s wide spread legs, Paul Taylor’s sizzling Piazzolla Caldera succeeds because he does not try to replicate steamy nights in Argentinian tango clubs, instead, he suggests the tipsy people magnetized by the dance’s sensuality and gutsy music undergirded by the bandoneon performed live by Julien Labro. On the darkened stage (lighting by Jennifer Tipton) pendant lights drop from the ceiling adding to the sense of a forbidden night of dance.

Out of the darkness, two men, Austin Kelly and John Harnage materialize and couple up as if on the back streets of Buenos Aires in a chilling duet. The tautly erotic couple pulls their bodies forcefully together, pivoting into cartwheels while gripping each other. One climbs over the other, heads whip around and taut legs stretch out to the side, before slicing back together.

Couples return, lock into eye to eye contact while facing in opposite directions, shoulders touching and backs flag pole straight. On occasion, men and women dance dangerously close only to split into two camps–like the gym dance in West Side Story–challenging each other through stomps, swishing skirts and men leering over lunges. Now that the company has made it their own, Piazzolla Caldera is a thrilling repertory selection and mesmerizing game of push and pull.

A much anticipated revival of Ulysses Dove’s Vespers entered the repertory this season. The sharpness and vigor felt while watching Piazzolla Caldera was more muted in Vespers, an equally demanding and emotionally exhilarating work. Most, importantly, Michael Novak (Artistic Director) thought to add it to the company’s roster, thus stretching the dancers’ vocabulary. Ulysses Dove whose blend of modern dance, ballet and drama became a distinctive choreographer whose works were filled with fervor and fearlessness.

Originally choreographed in 1986 for the all-Black Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Dove plumbed his grandmother’s spiritual fervor. Two rows of straight-back black chairs dominate. An all female cast, the women clasp hands and shoot arms straight up towards the celestial powers. They jump on the chairs, pop off, stand still, then rip off multiple turns and land in a deep arabesque lunge. At one point, the women flipped upside down on the chair, knees pressed together while holding the bottom of their black dresses in place. A small detail, but Dove was insistent that they are very modest “church ladies” and must never let their panties show. Of course, a “church lady” is unlike to upend herself, but the details were critical to Dove.

Rhythm and attack are essential to Vespers. Manic about executing daredevil movements on the beat, Dove insisted no landing before or after the beat. He demanded dancers totally stick the mark after nerve wracking twists abd remain Simone Biles still. The unexpected combination of steps build Vespers into a cauldron of emotions.

A few of the dancers definitely are moving in the right direction like Jada Pearman, Madelyn Ho and then Jessica Ferretti who fearlessly spun out double turns before pitching her torso to the ground, leg lifted in arabesque stark still. A powerful dance, Vespers needs some time to soak into the dancers muscles and nerve fibers.

In a stroke of brilliance, The Paul Taylor Dance Company commissioned a piece of music by Kevin Puts headlined by 3 rock star string instrumentalists from the group “Time for Three.:” Charles Yang, violin; Nicholas Kendall, violin; Ranaan Meyer, bass. Elevated from the pit to the lip of the stage, the musicians contributed to the dynamics of Lauren Lovette’s premiere Echo.

Set on an all-male cast, the men wore wide black skirts by Zac Posen that resemble the Trojans who fought the ancient Greeks. Eerily materializing in the aisles of the David H. Koch Theater, the men converge on stage pairing off in duets and trios, incorporating the entire space from lying on the ground to aerial moves kinetically motivated through Taylor style low running leaps. A stronger first half loses some of the initial focus and dynamics. Still, Echo animates the company and introduces a knock-out score.

EYE ON THE ARTS, NY — Celia Ipiotis