Janice Garrett is the kind of choreographer dancers love to work with: fast, musical and challenging. Fortunately, most of Garrett's dancers were more than up for the challenge in Garrett's fifth anniversary concert, a great showcase for some of San Francisco's most talented performers. Choreographically, the concert was a little uneven, but Garrett's intentions were clear, and her dancers helped support some of the weaker moments.
The evening started off on a very strong note: Brink (2005) was well choreographed and superbly danced. This was world-class dance, and if Garrett had maintained this kind of momentum, the evening could have been a success on every level. Brink featured an excellent score by Moses Sedler; although the choreography seemed sometimes to mirror the music, it was intelligently crafted and executed. If you're going to ignore every postmodern concept developed in contemporary dance in the last 30 years, this is how you do it. The piece was beautifully lit and had simple, understated costumes. Brink showed Garrett's skill for precise, visceral choreography that was well-developed and exciting.
The next piece was Fast Brass (2005) a wacky quintet set to a score by Fanfare Ciocalia. Black costumes and berets evoked a Euro, beatnik vibe, and Garrett used humor to create a series of vignettes that was part Three Stooges, part Pink Panther and a little Charlie Chaplin. The piece could have used a little more rehearsal, and the choreography needed sharper quality, looking a little muddy. Maybe an excerpt would have been better; less would have been more.
10 Studies on the Vicissitudes of Grief was a world premiere, and signaled a change of direction for Garrett. A minimalist score by Charlemagne Palestine featured a driving, repetitious rhythm. Garrett's choreography created an organic undercurrent that was gestural and somber. The shift in the evening was jarring, the rollercoaster of big movement and easy-listening music was gone.
Perhaps if the material were better framed, it would have felt like a more integrated idea. Pedestrian costuming was matched by muted lighting, which barely shifted. 10 Studies hit a plateau, maintaining a steady, unfolding quality. The most memorable moment was at the end of the piece, when a single dancer collapsed, and the stage suddenly went dark.
Playing chicken
Guest choreographer Charles Moulton is a bit of a legend in the contemporary dance field but seldom appears on local stages, preferring to work abroad. His 2001 piece Chickens is a hysterically funny, surreal combination of queer theory, contemporary performance and commedia dell'arte. The piece follows the story of Sissy (beautifully performed by Nol Simonse), a queer boy in a rural town, and his love for his duck (Jennifer Bishop-Orsulak). The duck tries to fit in at a chicken roost by becoming a chicken, and is later rescued by Sissy. In the meantime, there is a very funny chorus of chickens that strut, preen and represent the idea of assimilating into the mainstream. The recorded short story was written and performed by David Cale, and Moulton's choreography was inventive and well-rehearsed. Garrett should watch out, things are dangerous when a chorus line of wacky chickens steals the show.
The evening culminated in a second world premiere by Garrett, Archimedes' Revenge. Since the piece was abstract, the title's reference was not immediately clear. Archimedes had the potential to be a good bookend for Brink, and began with promise. The bronze-colored costumes were elegant, almost red-carpet ready. Garrett returned to her tried-and-true formula of big movement and driving music by Michael Thomas (performed by the Brodsky Quartet). Something was missing. Where was the exact timing that Garrett demonstrated in Brink? At points, the dancers looked confused and a little tired, for Archimedes was unrelentingly aerobic (though Bishop-Orsulak's stamina and poise were startling; she danced in all five of the evening's pieces). This is going to be a gorgeous piece, look for it next year when the company has had the opportunity to really develop it.
Garrett's fifth anniversary was a great turning point for the company — performing a two-week season in San Francisco is a huge accomplishment. The company might want to consider presenting a shorter, less ambitious program, because they have all the necessary components to present a successful season.
Janice Garrett and Dancers at the Cowell Theater, Fort Mason, SF, March 15-18 at 8 p.m. Tickets ($18-$26): (415) 345 7575 or www.fortmason.org/boxoffice.