MARK MORRIS DANCE GROUP Program C

The Mark Morris Dance Group returned to The Joyce Theater for its summer season with Program C: American Mavericks – West Coast Composers, featuring “Prelude and Prelude,” “Jenn and Spencer,” “Pacific,” and “Grand Duo.”

Performed by Karlie Budge, Kyle Halford, Sarah Hillmon, Brian Lawson, Courtney Lopes, Annie Morgan, Dallas McMurray, Alex Meeth, Brandon Randolph, Robert Rubama, Christina Sahaida, Frances Lorraine Samson, Megan Siepka, Billy Smith, and Joslin Vezeau, the program showcased the company’s signature musicality alongside the dancers’ impressive athleticism and technical precision.

The evening opened with “Prelude and Prelude,” a work filled with striking angular shapes and crisp, sculptural movement. Each dancer manipulated large fans that repeatedly concealed and revealed their faces and bodies, creating an intriguing visual rhythm between exposure and concealment.

Moments of stillness gave way to sudden descents to the floor, where legs sliced upward into the air before the performers quickly returned to standing. The choreography balanced playful theatricality with geometric precision, making for a compelling introduction to the evening.

“Jenn and Spencer,” danced by Karlie Budge and Brandon Randolph, shifted the focus to an intimate duet built around partnership, resistance, and dependence. The choreography centered on repeated moments of reaching, holding, and slipping away as the pair continuously negotiated physical connection.

While both performers danced with remarkable clarity and commitment, the emotional trajectory remained relatively static, making the work feel less dynamic than the other pieces on the program.

The mood shifted again with “Pacific,” perhaps the evening’s most visually striking work. Warm earth-toned costumes complemented a movement vocabulary defined by long, expansive lines and fluid transitions. Choreography unfolded with a quiet elegance that emphasized the company’s exceptional control and cohesion.

Closing the evening, “Grand Duo” erupted with sharp, slashing movement performed at an exhilarating pace. Jewel-toned costumes heightened the work’s bold visual palette as dancers carved through space with relentless energy and precision.

Like Program B, Program C demonstrated the Mark Morris Dance Group’s extraordinary technical rigor and musical sensitivity. Yet in an era when contemporary dance increasingly pushes formal and artistic boundaries, the program ultimately felt more refined than revelatory.

Although the choreography was meticulously executed, I found myself missing the sense of unpredictability that defines so much of Morris’s broader repertory.

EYE ON THE ARTS, NY — Frankie Lehr

*Photos by Julieta Cervantes