Hallmark Danceworks, a modern dance
company in Rochester, has no permanent home. Moving from space to space, as far
west as SUNY Brockport to central locations in downtown Rochester, Hallmark
dancers rehearse wherever they can.
Hallmark
Danceworks includes Artistic Director Liz Hallmark and three other permanent
members. When her choreography calls for it, Hallmark uses other local modern
dancers to fill her needs. On a recent Tuesday afternoon, she was at the Quaker
Meeting house on Scio Street. She was rehearsing a new work called “Cracked.”
“Cracked,”
which will have its premiere at Hallmark’s concert on May 29 and 30,
illustrates a political cover-up. The dance is set to the music of Tin Hat
Trio, a chamber jazz group consisting of accordionist Rob Burger, guitarist
Mark Orton, and violinist Carla Kihlstedt. The group’s music is a blend of
improvisation, contemporary, classical, folk, world, and jazz. The music
composition has a very sensual feeling, similar to that found in French and
Spanish folk music, but it is by no means traditional.
“Cracked”
has three sections. The first section introduces us to three female characters.
The choice of three women compliments the sensuality found in the music. The
first character is preoccupied with herself, consumed with her own needs. The
second character is power-hungry, motivated by material gains, control, and
power. The third character is a champion for “what is right.”
Hallmark
chooses to set very literal movement on the dancers, but the choice of
phrasing, clever use of rhythmic structure, and movement patterns give it an
abstract and unique look. Hallmark is very successful in communicating to the
audience the three characters’ personalities and gives the viewer a hint of the
conflicts between them.
The
second section brings forth the conflict. In this section Hallmark chooses
movement quality to create the images of opposition. One character is very
fluid and almost lyrical at times; the second is very bound and tense. Both are
offset by the third character and her very strong, direct movement that is
almost military.
The
relationship between all three characters is woven with a clever use of
repeated movement phrases that give us a sense of the way each character will
react to the problem they are about to face. At this point Hallmark introduces
her prop, a teapot.
The characters discover the
teapot. As the work progresses the teapot iscracked and a vile substance comes seeping out of it. One character chooses
to ignore the substance, another tries to cover it up, and the third wants to
expose it.
The
third section does not bring us to resolution. Instead, it mirrors a realistic
situation from the political arena: There are the people who are involved in
their own selves, not knowing or caring about what is going on in the rest of
the world; there are the parties in power, who try to cover up all that is
wrong and benefit from our ignorance; and then there are the finger-pointers.
But the situation continues and no party seems to be doing any problem solving.
Hallmark
says that politics motivates her creative energies. And she has a great sense
of humor. “Cracked” will make you smile; it’s satirical. It not only addresses
current political situations, but also greed, power, deceit, revenge,
ignorance, and intolerance — human traits that have plagued our society
throughout time.
The
performance will also include works by company members Janet Forward, Alycia
Bright Holland, and Stacy Shane. Also premiering is “Passing Grip,” a
collaboration between Hallmark and Cadence Whittier that includes a 50-foot
climbing rope and navigates the unpredictable tensions of relationship.
Laura
Schandelmeier, a visiting artist from Washington, DC, will perform her solo
work “Their, Then, Now/Doing the Shorty George,” a piece inspired by the film You Were Never Lovelier and Count
Basie’s “Shorty George” from the 1930s.
Hallmark
Danceworks‘
concert will be on Saturday and Sunday, May 29 and 30, at Hart Theatre, Jewish
Community Center, 1200 Edgewood Avenue, Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 4 p.m.
Tix: $10-$15. 244-0962
This article appears in May 26 – Jun 1, 2004.
