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Shawn Harper
Kanopy dancers in unitards with overlaying briefs and cropped tops.
'Commune' feels particularly fresh and current.
The messy weather Thursday evening meant the audience at opening night of Kanopy Dance Company’s “Connexions” was small, but it was mighty. As the weather improves over the weekend, I hope more people will come out for this interesting and swiftly paced program.
In Fear is the Enemy, from co-artistic director Robert E. Cleary, the six dancers are wearing climbing harnesses, used to enhance the possibility of lifts and partnering work in this piece that explores paranoia, loss of trust and surveillance and “silencing the voice of protest.” It is set to a sound collage that features Tom Waits’ very creepy “What’s He Building?” and equally creepy clips of J. Edgar Hoover speaking. Edward Salas shines in a solo that reveals his solid technique. At times I felt that the metaphors became a bit too literal, but there are great moments, including the ending in which the three female dancers, who are upside-down and cantilevered out from their partners’ bodies, are swung around and around in circles (trust enhanced by use of the harnesses).
Lisa Thurrell, company co-director, choreographed the solo For Persephone Ate the Pomegranate, which premiered in 1991. Katie Sovik, in a crimson gown cut low to showcase her muscular and expressive back, has a sparkling talent that is as satisfying to see as the jewel-like red clusters of a pomegranate just split open. Whether with her arms bent out wide at her sides like goalposts; folded, with her head on the floor and her body rocking back and forth; or cupping an imaginary pomegranate, she captures the duality of Persephone, the Greek goddess of spring forced to spend half of each year in the underworld after tasting pomegranate seeds.
We have been conditioned to expect “tricks” in dance from shows like Dance Moms, So You Think You Can Dance, etc., which put a premium on sky-high extensions, huge leaps and multiple turns, but sometimes the most beautiful and genuine moments in dance are the in-between transitions; a heaving exhalation, a head nestled fleetingly on a bent arm, a gently circling wrist. Sovik brings not just solid Martha Graham technique but a mature sensitivity to the solo that had me reveling in the entirety of Thurrell’s thoughtful work, set to a moving score by the late Greek dancer and composer Vicky Tzoumerka-Knoedler.
Guest artist Lloyd Knight, principal dancer in the Martha Graham Dance Company (who has also danced with Twyla Tharp Dance and the Royal Ballet of Flanders), workshopped his new piece, Commune, with Kanopy dancers during their intensive summer program. It’s clear that he really got to know the company dancers and used those insights to reveal what they have to offer. You see the foundational building blocks of Graham’s technique, but Commune feels particularly fresh and current. Knight plays with groupings and dynamics; my favorite moment came with a row of dancers bursting through a lineup of their castmates in startling leaps. The electronic music by Signal Band pulses and crackles and the costumes by David Quinn (sheer nude unitards overlaying briefs and cropped tops in tones of burgundy and mauve) are visually arresting.
My eyes were constantly drawn to Miye Bishop, whose precise technique is layered with intensity and a fierce beauty. I felt lucky she’s here in Madison with us and not dancing with a larger company in a bigger city. She was partnered with Salas, which makes perfect sense as they both share a similar commitment to movement and presence as performers.
Knight, who had a schedule conflict with Graham company duties, appeared in a film of Born to Love, a solo choreographed by fellow guest artist Jamar Roberts. Knight will be on hand at the two Saturday performances to discuss his piece and this film. To see Knight perform on film made me wish I could see him perform live and it’s evident why Dance Magazine named him Best Performer in 2015. His impeccable technique frees him to play with the effervescence and joy of the role. The music is Burt Bacharach and Hal David’s classic “(There’s) Always Something There to Remind Me,” sung by Dionne Warwick. Like Warwick, Knight offers crystal clarity and is in precise control of his talent. The film reads a bit like a performance video with some extra footage (Knight arriving at the theater and applying makeup) edited in to make it more robust, but nevertheless, you can still feel the impact of Knight’s formidable talent from the screen.
The evening closed with Thurrell’s Prayer, choreographed in response to 9/11. I’ve seen it numerous times over the years and find new things to appreciate about it. This time, the wrenching solo is performed by Lena Komar, a young company apprentice for Kanopy. My heart will always melt when the soloist runs to several of the dancers lined up with their backs to the audience, grasps them by the shoulders and slides down their bodies.
“Connexions” runs at Overture’s Promenade Hall through Sunday with performances on Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 5 and 8 p.m. (with Knight discussing his work) and Sunday at 1 and 4 p.m.
[Editor's note: The text has been corrected to note that the costume designer is David Quinn.]
