Normally I don’t cover dance. However, I was invited to attend Repertory Dance Theatre’s dress rehearsal Tuesday for Land, the company’s final production for the season. The four short works that make up the program are visually stunning with superbly crafted choreography. Despite the few technical glitches and the tweaking that is always inevitable at a rehearsal, I was mesmerized by the virtuosity of the dancers and the inventiveness of the choreography.
The opening piece, Desert Sea, with choreography by Molissa Fenley and music by Lou Harrison, is a veritable symphony of angularity, symmetry and precision. The music and dancing become one in evoking visions of vivid imagery.
The next work, Erosion, choreographed by Zvi Gotheiner to original music by Scott Killian, is a fabulous partner piece to Desert Sea. It draws its inspiration from the American Southwest. It’s a picturesque piece, almost ritualistic in its depiction of the passage of time as represented by the natural forces of erosion. The music is percussive, yet also quite lyrical at times. The dancing is fluid and there is an element of sensuality in the dancers’ movements.
Offering a stark contrast to the preceding two works is Ze-eva Cohen’s Rainwood, set to a score consisting of animal and bird sounds associated with a rainforest. The dancers move in vibrant patterns and through their gestures become one with the sounds.
Rounding out the program is Shapiro & Smith’s Turf, a clever piece with a score by Killian about ownership that at times turns from playful to serious. However, the playfulness of the opening section becomes a unifying motif throughout the piece, and the work never strays far from the whimsical and humorous.
Land is an absolutely entertaining showcase for RDT’s remarkable dancers. I highly recommend it.
- PERFORMANCE DETAILS
- What: Repertory Dance Theatre, Land
- Venue: Jeanné Wagner Theatre, Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center
- Time and Date: 7:30 p.m. April 10-12
- Tickets: $30 general, $15 seniors and students ($5 higher if purchased on day of performance)
- Phone: 801-355-2787 or 888-451-2787
- Web: www.arttix.org