Shawn Harper
Kanopy Dance, "Dark Tales."
While the spoken word elements felt a bit clunky at times, the dancing and choreography in Magnum Opus’ Flip Side — performed in Verona in October — never did. Artistic director Abigail Henninger has a distinct style and has assembled a company of top-notch dancers. Even in this talented group, my eyes were constantly drawn to Lexie Ehmann. She clearly takes pleasure in performing, which makes her solid technique shine even more brightly, especially when dancing to Vivaldi.
UW Madison dance professor Marlene Skog found confidence and articulated her creative vision clearly in a November concert titled Consider it not so deeply, inspired by Shakespeare’s female characters. Liz Sexe’s virtuoso performance as Lady Macbeth will stay with me long beyond 2018, and Kaleigh Schock was a luminous and haunting Ophelia.
John Maniaci
Li Chiao-Ping Dance, "Dolce Stil Novo."
Li Chiao-Ping is a gutsy innovator, and I appreciate that she isn’t content to rest on her laurels, even if I’m not always enamored with every piece on a program. With Dolce Stil Novo in early December, she introduced us to a stunning venue for dance: The Masonic Temple is a perfect spot to showcase her company. UW-Madison dance majors appeared with Li’s company and acquitted themselves well in the premiere of “reDress/age.” Senior Aliya Rose will be a star wherever she goes after graduating. Luella Shapiro brought agility and daring to “Table Tasks v.1,” a piece in which Elizabeth Roskopf and Sexe were also standouts.
I worried about Madison Ballet’s future when artistic director W. Earle Smith announced his retirement, and was sad that the company scaled back to present only two shows in 2018, The Nutcracker and She. But She, which featured the work of female choreographers, had so many compelling moments that I remain hopeful for the company’s future.
The bold choice to perform the complex and challenging classic “Les Noces” is evidence of a commitment to presenting provocative and demanding works. Shannon Quirk delivered a riveting performance as The Bride in “Les Noces,” and Schock and Damien Johnson were perfectly matched in the soaring pas de deux of “Mingus Dances.”
Last spring, Kanopy Dance combined a program of modern dance and physical theater with Dark Tales. That concert included “Bluebeard,” another collaboration with corporeal mime performers Steve Wasson and Corinne Soum from Theatre de l’Ange Fou. This adaptation of the creepy fairytale showcased the talents of Robert E. Cleary in the title role and Olivia Rivard as his most recent bride.
Kanopy’s fall Celebrations included the reconstruction of Martha Graham’s “Celebration” — a joy to watch that still feels current and fresh, particularly with the young dancers who have studied Graham technique at Kanopy’s studio. Juan Carlos Díaz Vélez was back on stage after a brief retirement, performing in Lisa Thurrell’s devastatingly beautiful “Misere.” Diaz Velez is a huge asset to Madison’s dance scene; he brings an intensity and focus to his performances that is unrivaled in our city.
