Top 10 lists are always a little problematic, and 2006 was no exception. Should visiting companies be considered while Bay Area artists struggle for recognition? Honestly, though most of the out-of-town artists were fine, it was the locals that shined this year. The following are not in any particular order.
Talismanic Dance Theatre presented two clever pieces, Mama and Just a Little One, at various festivals around town. Audiences were taken by choreographer/performer Kerry Mehling's fresh wit and guile. Both pieces showcased Mehling, a cross between Pina Bausch and Lucille Ball, creating wacky characters struggling with dysfunctional interactions and surreal situations.
Alexander V. Nichols is a widely recognized visual designer and a longtime collaborator with the Margaret Jenkins Dance Company. This year he designed an amazing set for Jenkins' A Slipping Glance, a large circle of interconnected platforms that enclosed the audience in a complete perimeter. Dancers moved fluidly from the platforms to center stage, where sections of the dance were seen in-the-round. It was great to see a group of artists thinking outside the box.
Expatriate Jess Curtis splits his time between Berlin and San Francisco, creating postmodern dance-theatre pieces that walk the line between contact improvisation, performance art and circus. Curtis has looked beyond the myopic Bay Area dance scene and approaches his craft using tools drafted from both his American and European training, setting the bar higher for local artists.
Sometimes watching Alma Cunningham 's work is a little like eating a bowl of raw broccoli. You know it's good for you, but it can be a little dry. Every once in a while, Cunningham will show her humorous side, which she did successfully with her duet More at the SF International Arts Festival. More was a meringue of pantomime, clean choreography and silly Bolero music. Let's hope Cunningham lets us see this lighter side again.
Also in this year's International Festival was Jose Navarrette's Revenge of Huitlacoche, a solo co-created and directed by Debbie Kajiyama. Navarrette channeled his inner drag, creating a hysterical personification of genetic bioengineering dressed completely in corn husks, ranting incomprehensively on stage and taking the audience on a wild ride. Though the piece needs a little polishing, it was great to see political art transcending the didactic.
The jazz dancers struck back this year. Savage Jazz presented some gorgeous dancing, and new choreographer Alex Sanchez gave the company fresh material to sink their teeth in. There's very little Broadway jazz in the Bay Area, and while Sanchez's Mambo Mio might have become kitsch in another company's hands, Savage Jazz burned up the stage with technique, humor and showmanship. Let's hope this is the beginning of a beautiful relationship between Savage and Sanchez.
The Barbary Coast Cloggers were one of the highlights at this year's Isadora Duncan Dance Awards. They brought the house down with their piece Banjo Buck. The company has been together for 25 years, virtually the entire length of the American AIDS epidemic, and it's heartening to see a group of men perfecting a folk tradition that is both masculine and joyful.
Who knew that prima ballerina Joanna Berman would end up being the highlight of ODC Dance's spring season? Brenda Ways' playful choreography was a perfect fit for Berman's clear technique and stage presence.
Sean Dorsey has been a regular on the local Top 10 lists, and received a lot of notice this year. Though his duets are the bulk of his material, it was his solo Creative where he really hit his stride. Calling Creative a dance piece is really a disservice because it was really just good theatre, documenting the journey of a transgendered youth outwitting a well-intentioned but ill-advised counselor.
A new local superstar was born this year when choreographer Joe Goode spotlighted dancer Melecio Estrella in his 20th season. Estrella is an engaging new muse for Goode, demonstrating a knack not just for dancing but for singing and text as well. No word on if he'll be back next year, but it was great to see Goode's work through a fresh set of eyes.
Honorable Mention: The Jon Sims Center for the Arts was on the brink of closing this year, but received a temporary reprieve from their landlord to stay open. Here's hoping that Board of Directors President Stephanie Smith and her stalwart board can come up with a plan to continue supporting local gay dance and theatre.