On Tuesday night, local dance company BIODANCE presented “BIO/DANCE & Social Justice” at Geva
Theatre Center’s Fielding Nextstage in a program
devoted to works that highlighted the struggle against inequality on the basis
of race, gender, sexual orientation, and more.
The opening piece by Donna Davenport, “Lined Up for
Injustice,” began with the dancers speaking the words, “That’s just the way it
is — sorry.” What followed was less a fluid dance and more a series of isolated
and disconnected movements. These motions, which clearly conveyed interpersonal
strife and feelings of discord, were conceptually interesting. But as dance,
the choreography was clichéd and unimaginative.
The solo dance number “Development to Liberty,” choreographed
and performed by Davenport, was more impactful. Davenport gradually went from
adhering strictly to predetermined salsa steps to moving in less inhibited,
more individualistic ways. Themes of body image and dealing with societal pressures
as a woman were woven subtly into the dance.
The most affecting performance of the evening was
“(drowning),” with both music and choreography by genderqueer artist Lev Earle.
According to the program notes, the piece drew from the stories of LGBTQ children
who had been driven to homelessness by families that had effectively thrown
them out because of their identities.
Earle’s stirring sound installation evoked anxiety,
uncertainty, and change; an ominous drone was implied throughout. In the
choreography, abstract movements such as the flailing of limbs connoted
psychological violence and the subsequent torment that it causes. Compared to
abstraction of “Lined Up for Injustice,” the lyrical “(drowning)” was also more
poignant precisely because it was less concerned with advancing an overt
narrative and instead allowed the dance to speak for itself.
The following piece, “Daily Reflection,” was in effect a
sermon of self-empowerment in dance form, performed with intensity and
conviction by the choreographer Kelly Johnson. Missy Pfohl
Smith’s “In/difference,” like “Lined Up for Injustice,” suffered from
disjointed choreography that featured little continuity from one dancer’s
movement to the next. While some of this is inherent in the modern sensibility
of the style, there was little cohesion to bring the staggered, fragmented
movements of the individuals together.
In general, the evening’s choreography was much more powerful
when the dancers were in unison. Perhaps this has something to do with the
coherence and clear articulation of such movement to the audience. But
ultimately, the underlying motifs of unity in the face of intolerance and
collective advocacy for equality, which were implied during the whole program,
were communicated more clearly when there was unanimity.
The decision by BIODANCE and its Artistic Director Missy Pfohl Smith to focus on the issue of social justice is to
be applauded. It would interesting to see related themes developed and explored
further in additional choreographed works performed by the company.
This time around, one got the sense that BIODANCE was torn
between utilizing a performance art aesthetic and more of a pure dance focus. Aspects
of theater disrupted the flow of choreography and took the viewer out of the
emotional moment. That said, I look forward to future BIODANCE performances.
BIODANCE will perform again on Saturday, September 26, at Geva Theatre Center. 7 p.m. $8-$12. Appropriate for ages 13
and older.
This article appears in Sep 23-29, 2015.
