January 29, 2004
Dance company performs lesser-known works
The 2004 Chamber Dance Company concert, “Best Kept Secrets: 1928–1982,” features lesser-known choreography by Doris Humphrey, Anna Sokolow, Alwin Nikolais, Paul Taylor and Tandy Beal. The company performs Feb. 5 through 8 in Meany Theatre.
Varying radically in their rendering, Doris Humphrey’s Water Study and Alwin Nikolais’s Pond teem with evocative aquatic images –– an amphibious look at waves and creatures. In Three Epitaphs created in 1956, Paul Taylor takes a witty and candid look at five slumping ape-like creatures as they attempt to stand upright.
On the more noble side, Humphrey’s Air for the G String could be set in a cathedral with its simple elegance and angelic costuming. In Heisenberg Principle, a lone dancer contemplates the notion of uncertainty as embodied by a whimsical and flirtatious air balloon. In a rarely performed dance, Ballade, Anna Sokolow departs from her characteristically bleak view of humanity to create a lyrical, almost romantic quartet to Scriabin performed live in concert.
“All too often a choreographer’s signature work is performed widely, often depriving dance enthusiasts from enjoying other treasures infrequently reconstructed. This concert epitomizes the range and beauty that can be found in these less familiar dances,” says the company’s artistic director, Hannah Wiley.
Tickets are $14, $10 for students and seniors and available at the UW Arts Ticket Office at 206-543-4880. Visit http://depts.washington.edu/uwdance/cdc.html for more information.
