THE HANGOVER REPORT – Cuba’s MALPASO DANCE COMPANY returns to The Joyce with a Martha Graham classic and a pair of premieres

Malpaso Dance Company performs at The Joyce Theater (photo by Nir Arieli).

This week marks the return of Malpaso Dance Company at The Joyce Theater. For the Havana-based contemporary dance company’s current stint at the Chelsea dance venue — in some respects, it’s a minor miracle that they’re actually here, given all that’s been going on in the world — they’ve chosen a trio of works that show off their rigor, style, and versatility. To celebrate Martha Graham Dance Company’s landmark centennial, the program opened with the seminal choreograper’s Dark Meadow Suite. The evening continued with a pair of world premieres — Keerati Jinakunwiphat‘s jazz-infused Year of the Leopard and Malpaso co-founder Daile Carrazana‘s richly referential La Estación.

Graham’s Dark Meadow Suite is a savvy choice for the company, giving them visibility in the expansive GRAHAM100 project. In addition, the performance marks the first time a Cuban dance troupe has staged a piece by Graham. Originally seen 80 years ago in 1946, the work — which conjures stylized images of South Asian culture — remains strikingly modern, featuring sculptural stage pictures and an overall introspective and ritualistic ethos. Throughout, the dancing was strong and controlled, making for an ideal opener. In Year of the Leopard, the company changed gears altogether, delivering Jinakunwiphat‘s syncopated steps — which sprawled over the stage with grounded musicality — with freedom and verve, instinctually moving to the sensational playing of trumpeter Adam O’Farrill and his Stranger Days quartet beat by beat.

The evening concluded with La Estación (or “The Season”). Utilizing the entire company, the work is set to a patchwork score comprised of recognizable snippets from musical compositions by Astor Piazolla, Vivaldi, and Tchaikovsky. A sort of tasteful mash-up of genres (e.g., classical meets tango), the piece is a post-modern spin on The Rite of Spring — a soulful meditation on humanity vis-à-vis the natural world. It showcased the company’s regal dancers in the best possible light, highlighting their presence and distinction. In addition to Year of the Leopard, both Carrazana‘s work and Dark Meadow Suite were also accompanied with live music courtesy of Alma String Quartet, a wonderful all–Cuban women ensemble that played with vividness and energy.

RECOMMENDED

MALPASO DANCE COMPANY
Dance
The Joyce Theater
1 hour, 30 minutes (with one intermission)
Through February 15

Categories: Dance

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