By Walter Rutledge
It’s Taylor Time! The Paul Taylor Dance Company began their New York City fall season on Tuesday, November 5th at the State Theater at Lincoln Center. The three-week, twenty-one performance season will offer eighteen works by seven dance makers including four world premieres by Robert Battle, Lauren Lovette and Jody Sperling. During the Wednesday November 6th Gala performance, the public was treated to two premieres by Battle and Lovette.
Artistic Director Michael Novak was our Master of Ceremonies providing curtain warming commentary prior to each of the works presented. Chaconne In Winter, a duet with live onstage accompaniment, choreographed by Lovette opened the evening. The curtain rose on TIME FOR THREE a trio consisting of Charles Yang (Violin), Ranaan Meyer (Bass) and Nicholas Kendall (Violin) positioned upstage on three platforms placed stage right, center and left respectively.
Dancers Madelyn Ho and John Harnage soon entered upstage of the musicians from stage right and left. Clad in flesh tone unitards with a subtle shimmer from rhinestones the dancers began their encounter center stage. The movement established comforting visual imagery framed by the musical triumvirate.
Lovette manipulated the visual perspective and mood, building to a crescendo with the music. During the build this lyric adagio evolved into an exuberant conversation. As the music reprised its original theme the movement also returned to an earlier quality, concluding with the dancers ending their encounter and exiting separately stage left and right, as they had in the beginning.
What better way to say I love you than with movement? Robert Battle’s appropriately titled Dedicated To You is a love letter to teacher, mentor and friend Caroline Adams. Jada Pearman’s effervescent persona immediately channeled Adams. Battle’s minimal gesture driven opening statement quickly established the vocabulary and movement direction.
This work is Battle’s first dance for the Taylor company and is not only a tribute to Adams, but an homage to Taylor’s technique and choreography. The use of the arms and back, the low runs, use of weight and the choice of music referenced both Taylor and Adams’ illustrious career. Although the work is stylistically Taylor the construction (a solo in three sections), the physical and technical challenges are reminiscent of Alvin Ailey’s Cry and Love Songs, two solos formerly under his stewardship.
During the bow Adams joined the cast, musicians and Battle on stage. Her brilliant red caftan style gown adored with a gold embroidered bodice gave the dominative diva the regal look befitting dance royalty. The moment brought gospel legend James Cleveland’s lyrics to mind:
Give me my flowers
while I yet live
so that I, I can see the beauty
that they bring.
The program concluded with Taylor’s ensemble masterwork Promethean Fire. Devon Louis and Madelyn Ho lead the sixteen-member cast in an impressive rendering. Of the six Taylor works choreographed to Bach: Junction (1961), Esplanade (1975), Musical Offering (1986), Brandenburgs (1988), Cascade (1999) and Promethean Fire (2001), Promethean Fire is my personal favorite.
Throughout the work Taylor’s attack and intuitive musicality produced powerful imagery that matches and at times exceeds the dominate power of the music (which is no easy feat). His level of prowess frees the dance, making it no longer bound to the Bach composition. In other words, the performers were not dancing to the music; the music accompanied the dance, a hallmark of great choreography and composition.
Taylor Time continues through Sunday, November 24 for more information and to purchase tickets visit https://paultaylordance.org/performances/newyorkseason/.
In Photo: 1. Logo 2. Michael Novak 3. Madelyn Ho and John Harnage : musicians upstage Charles Yang (Violin), Ranaan Meyer (Bass) and Nicholas Kendall (Violin) 4. Caroline Adams and Robert Battle 5. Devon Louis and Madelyn Ho
Photographer: Whitney Browne
