Buglisi Dance Theatre
The Buglisi Dance Theatre (formerly Buglisi Foreman Dance) presented two new works and repertory by Buglisi in a short season. The company includes Terese Capucilli and Christin Dakin, former Graham company artists, Virginie Mécène and Kevin Predmore, guest artists, Martine van Hamel and Robert La Fosse, along with 9 other excellent dancers.
Now in its 13the year, the company had an instant success with its riveting works and strong dancers. It still has those, except for its two new works, "Caravaggio Meets Hopper," performed to a "soundscape" of bits, cuts and pieces and "Acapelorus (a walrus tale)," to a commissioned score by Libby Larsen, performed live by the Cassatt String Quartet and soprano Ximena Borges, and "Atom Hearts Club Suite No. 1,"commisioned by The Ailey School for their annual Spring Concert last year.
Buglisi repertory is strong and always well performed and its 1998 work, "Against All Odds (Quand Méme)," performed by Terese Capucilli is still a riveting solo. "Sand," (2001), and her masterwork "Requiem" (2002) still engage attention. "Atom Hearts Club Suite No. I" (in premiere); followed by the two new works, and the strongly performed "Sospiri" (1989) danced by Virginie Mécène and Kevin Predmore, a pas de deux based on an Argentine legend is a tightly worked piece with challenging interpretation.
"Caravaggio (the passionate) Meets Hopper (the stark observer)" is a mystery of intent as the dancers, all wearing black and hats from other eras, ignore, confront, and enter and reenter in phrases too long or too short to make an impression. Even van Hamel and La Fosse can't seem to make sense of their relationship.....first, on, then off and ending somewhere in between. The work almost makes it as noir atmosphere, which would have been interesting. But a patchwork of sounds, voiceovers and movements on and off chairs give the cast little opportunity to actually dance. The test of a choreographer is to know when to throw a work out of the repertory when even reworking it won't help. As an example, Balanchine once did a one-night stand as "Pan America" a mélange of commissioned dances and music by South American composers. Those who saw it never wanted to see it again. Paul Taylor, as well, once received a newspaper review that was on blank paper. It takes a perceptive choreographer to resist finding a work of his own irresistible and be unable to throw it out of the rep.
Another work to throw away for a company of this excellence is "Atom Hearts Club Suite No. 1." Hopefully there will never be a "No. 2." The former Buglisi/Foreman Dance had some light hearted works, but Buglisi doesn't have that touch. Rooted in Graham's legacy of power, intent, courageous statement, and her own sensitivity, she should stay with that. Oh yes, there was the unformed "walrus" tale premiere with excerpts of children's poetry. That should also disappear, as well, unless it is revised. You can't win them all.