company review 2007

Houston's "it" Dance Company:

The Houston Metropolitan Dance Company

April 27, 2007
Wortham Center, Cullen Theater
by Nancy Wozny

There was a palpable buzz in the air at Wortham last Friday night. For once, a dance concert felt like the cool place to be. The Houston Met put on a show with a little something for everyone; the evening showcased nationally known choreographers Robert Battle and Jason Parsons leaving room for some in-house talent with contributions by senior company member Kijaunta Lucus, and Houston Met II director Jhon Stronks.

Robert Battle, recently honored as a “Master of African-American Choreography” by the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, is a graduate of Julliard. Battle danced with David Parsons before starting his own company Battleworks Dance Company in 2001. His work graces the repertoire of Alvin Ailey's American Dance Company, Ballet Memphis, Ballet Idaho, Koresh Dance Company, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Dallas Black Dance Theater, and others. Battle's The Hunt is a masterful work. Birth, rite of passage, life trials, and violence-it's all there, fiercely danced by the powerhouse women of The Met, Lucas, Lauren Garson, Linzy Lab, and Marlana Walsh-Doyle. The Hunt demands a merging of athletic and emotional strength. The piece also asks the dancers to let go of technical form and literally ride the ritual wave embedded in Battle's momentum. Each with their own signature style of moving gave every ounce of their dancing being to realize this work. The Met deserves credit for bringing Battle's work to Houston (although they are not the first; Dance Salad has brought his work twice thus far), and for continuing to challenge their senior dancers with choreography at this level.

Battle wasn't the evening's only choreographic coup. Jason Parson's Thom Clock let The Met show off their hipster jazz style. Parson is an up and coming New York based jazz choreographer. He has worked with River North Dance Chicago, Mia Michaels RAW, Dinyos Dance Company (Japan), and Poz Dance Theatre (South Korea) in addition to an impressive set of Television credits. Set to Radio Head's heady, but moody tunes, the performers dance out the emotional landscape of the music with a daring conviction. Lab, Walsh, Sara Chase, Lauren Garson, Ashley Reichstein, and Jocelyn Thomas inhabited Parson's rich textures with full force conviction but it was Lab's performance that stood out. Neither graceful nor safe, Lab imbues her dancing with a tomboyish energy that let's the audience know that she's skinned a knee or two, fallen out of trees, or whacked a baseball across a field. I have no idea if she has in fact done any of those things, but she gives a kind of real woman in the world feel to whatever she is dancing and it especially showed up in Parson's piece.

A year ago, I wrote that Lucas was one choreographer to watch, I was right. Lucas has a way with whole body gesture that gives her dances a distinct sculptural quality. Kris Phelps’ back lighting amplified the nuanced edges by placing much of the dance in silhouette. Lowering the black backdrop to just above the height of the dancers made the scale of the body even more important. Garson, Lab, Lucas, Thomas, and Walsh danced with sexy subtlety in this brief but compelling work.

Keeping with the something for everyone mission were works by Kim Kelley and Christine Carlson. Kelley's On The Lighter Side certainly demonstrated The Met’s versatility and modest tap skills, yet the piece never moved beyond a Gap commercial feel. Carlson's Fosse’s World showed off a good grip of Fosse style (sans the sleaze factor) and was performed with great enthusiasm by the entire ensemble. Still, the dance felt like a recital piece. Kristina Burgess' Opprimus Orbis Terrarum, (The Overwhelmed World) didn't get going until the Donnie Darko (It's a Mad World) song came on. Messy ensemble work during the first section made for an incoherent beginning to a strong evening of dance.

Stronks’ two works made for a nice touch in the experimental realm, a new territory for the Met. His effective and precisely danced solo, Crossing along the dark side of night… kicking without screaming, layered a compelling sound score with text by Essex Hemphill performed by Wayne M. Smith, Kevin Everod Quashie, Stuart L. Twite and music by Bahia Black, Eternal Sun, Louie Vega, Huddie “Leadbelly” Ledbetter. Stronk’s large group work R(A)IZE.UP had the feeling of a street ritual. Using sampling techniques as a choreographic framework is an interesting concept and left me curious to see more of his work. Thomas' long-limbed majesty led the proceedings.

A note to the audience: Nice to see all you young folks. Don't be strangers, I hope to see you at more dance events. Spread the word, dance is cool, especially when the Met takes the stage.

Review commissioned by Dance Source Houston. For more dance reviews and Information, visit www.dancehunter.blogspot.com or www.houchron.com