Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – FALL FOR DANCE gets off to a rousing start

• By drediman
• October 3, 2017
• No Comments

Miami City Ballet dances Christopher Wheeldon’s “Polyphonia” at City Center’s Fall for Dance festival

Last night I attended the opening night performance of City Center’s Fall for Dance festival, one the center pieces of New York’s fall dance season. What makes Fall for Dance essential is not only its price point – ALL tickets are only $15 a pop – but its insistence on diverse programming. The festival’s five programs are danced by companies from across the country, each specializing in their own form of dance, from classical ballet, to hip-hop, to modern dance, to tap, and so forth.  It was a thrill to sit in a packed auditorium (it’s a rare occurrence to see City Center’s huge mainstage auditorium at complete capacity) full of very enthusiastic dance fans. Each piece was greeted with ardent cheers, and the generous atmosphere was palpable and infectious.

Program A got off to an auspicious start with a glowing performance of Christopher Wheeldon’s Polyphonia by the much-respected Miami City Ballet (coincidentally, New York City Ballet is performing the very same piece a couple blocks uptown). Like City Ballet, Miami City Ballet’s dancers are well-suited to the modernist classical ballet aesthetic brought to the fore by George Balanchine. It’s hence no surprise to see Wheeldon’s piece, which is grown from the Balanchine heritage, danced so well.

The eclectic evening continued with the New York premiere of GULA, choreographed and performed by South Africa’s Vincent Sekwati KoKo Mantsoe. The striking dance solo conjures up the mystical duality between bird and man; Mr. Mantsoe blurred the lines so authentically and convincingly that I was almost sure he was really channeling the animal world, as if a shaman. The first act concluded with a performance of the late Trisha Brown’s You can see us, a mesmerizing “mirror image” pas de deux for two women (beautifully danced by Cecily Campbell and Jamie Scott).

The second act was comprised of the world premiere of Michelle Dorrance’s expanded Myelination. Ms. Dorrance’s exuberant tap creations have been Fall for Dance audience favorites in the past, and this entry is no different. What’s exciting is that her choreography transcends merely tap. It dusts off the form and present a style of movement that’s current and pliable, and her dancers do it complete justice. Indeed, Myelination was a joy to watch.

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FALL FOR DANCE: PROGRAM A
Dance
New York City Center
Approximately 2 hours (with one intermission)
Ongoing programming through October 14