The UW Dance Program put on its annual Fall Faculty Concert at Lathrop Hall’s H’Doubler Performance Space Nov. 18-20. After weeks of rehearsal, hours of tech rehearsal and three nights of production, the show came off effortlessly. Works choreographed by faculty members Jin-Wen Yu and Li Chiao-Ping, and academic staff Marlene Skog, Maureen Janson, and Peggy Choy, were joined by guest artists-in-residence Allen and Karen Kaeja. Renowned modern dancers, choreographers and film-makers, the co-directors of Kaeja d’Dance were honored to be a part of this year’s concert. Spending the past two weeks in Madison, the experts of contact improvisation and partnering shared their knowledge of modern dance with students in the dance program. Additionally, Kaeja choreographed a piece performed by several UW dancers.
When he first came to Madison, Kaeja was told to audition dancers for his piece, a job he doesn’t always enjoy. Kaeja was surprised and pleased with the quality of dance he found during the auditions. “What really struck me [was] all of the dancers’ passion, their commitment, their desire, their dedication.” After spending time with the dancers, Kaeja decided to keep all 11 who tried out, citing his fascination for continuously being surprised by them.
The concert opened with “Brink,” choreographed by Li Chiao-Ping, director of Li Chiao-Ping Dance Company. Set against frequent changes in lighting and music reminiscent of Radiohead, four dancers effortlessly executed their roles in the piece. Repetition and development of movement were seen throughout the work, as well as several technical dance aspects, including the building and use of momentum, suspension and collapse, and floor sequences, which were constant themes seen in the choreography.
Peggy Choy choreographed “Red Buddha,” the next piece shown in the program. A highly symbolic work performed by five dancers, the piece constantly dealt with groupings and proximity of stage space, while exploring an abstract theme. Throughout the entire piece, there was a struggle, a battle of two dancers against three. The battle was not only seen in the placement of the dancers, but also in the movements performed by each. There was a constant juxtaposition of quick and sharp movements with slower, elongated ones. The trio frequently encircled the duo as their movements continued to contrast until the end of the piece, when the trio performed movements seemingly symbolizing a real battle against the duo. Finally, the duo was on the floor and the lights went out.
Less abstract in movement and theme, “Exit/No Exit,” a work choreographed by Marlene Skog, took the stage next. Set against string music, two dancers made the stage their own with a little help from chair props. This semi-modern, semi-ballet piece was beautifully performed, illustrating how dancers relate to each other by several different means, including mirroring movements and working opposite of one another. The use of the chairs allowed the dancers to play with their sense of center as well as use each other to balance themselves. Skog’s choreography was composed of several extensions and stretches. It also allowed the dancers to show a light quality on the stage, something yet to have been seen since the start of the show.
“Vishdata” was the fourth piece performed. Maureen Janson, artistic director of SmartDance, choreographed the work featuring eight UW dancers. Using many different concepts of dance, Janson utilized theme, movement development, and stage spacing in her choreography. Four very different music selections were used in the work, ranging from a light, sing-song genre, to strings, to techno. The piece began with the eight dancers upstage in a single, horizontal line, staring stoically at the audience, standing motionless. Eventually the dancers moved downstage, but movement didn’t start for several moments. As the music continued, one or several of the girls would collapse to the floor quickly, returning to their positions in the line; this simple concept of standing still with intent, followed by collapsing, led to the incredible development of Janson’s piece. During the next three musical selections of “Vishdata,” collapsing movements evolved into clapping, slapping and stomping. Dancers moved from individual movements to duos and other small groupings. Additionally, there was a frequent solo performance followed by the seven other dancers grouping around to continue with their variations of slapping, clapping and stomping. The dancers whispered “shhh” anytime they “slapped” another dancer, perhaps portraying a theme of silent abuse.
After intermission, Skog showed another piece, “Ragas,” performed by nine dancers. Again a light and airy piece, much of the choreography juxtaposed balletic and modern technique. Small groupings of dancers performed extensions, leaps and jumps, along with lots of partner work.
The next piece was a video created by Kaeja. “Departure” included dancers from Kaeja d’Dance and was a powerful story showing clips of a family torn apart by the struggles and tribulations brought about by war, with emotional music composed by Edgardo Moreno, who frequently collaborates with Kaeja. Kaeja began exploring dance film in the mid-’90s, finding that “film just blows open [dance] parameters; it just blows open the world [to dance].”
Jin-Wen Yu performed his own solo in “Short, Long, Forever.” Using three strips of bubble wrap as a prop on the floor of the stage, the artist repeated various themes throughout his piece, which was set to opera music. Much of the choreography included audible, and very visible breathing, emphasizing the importance of the spine. Additionally, he juxtaposed quick, sharp movements with smooth, momentous ones across the stage.
Kaeja closed the show with “Agoria,” a piece he created especially with the help of the UW dancers. “I wanted to see what they could do, and I wanted to challenge that. I wanted to build something that was kinetically challenging and that built on relationships,” Kaeja said. “Unless you meet the group, you don’t know what you’ll be able to do [with the choreography].” Kaeja’s expertise with contact dance and partnering was seen throughout his piece, as the dancers worked with lifts and suspensions in the air. Throughout the work, there was a theme of a relationship between a couple who frequently exhibited Kaeja’s contact partnering. “[The piece] is just meant to be thrilling. I wanted this to be purely experiential. I wanted the audience to feel that [the dance] just seemed effortless and exciting, and [they] lived the moment.” Indeed, the 12-minute dance felt as though it was only four minutes.
The Fall Faculty Concert was the last show the Dance Program put on this semester. For more information on the Dance Program and other performances scheduled for next semester, visit www.soemadison.wisc.edu/dance.
