After a long, dry summer, the dance season is gearing up, and there are going to be lots of opportunities to see some great dance this fall. The fall is always a great time to see some of the more experimental companies because many of the larger companies wait until the spring to debut their new pieces, and the festival season hasn't started in earnest yet. Here are a few companies that you might not know, but are worth checking out.
Jo Kreiter's company Flyaway Productions is an exciting company that focuses on extremely physical dances that are almost always set on a group of strong, well-trained female dancers. This fall, Kreiter will be presenting a preview of a new piece titled Lies You Can Dance To. The new work is being workshopped at The Marsh, which is a smallish theater that is not normally associated with contemporary dance, and it will be interesting to see how the choreographer utilizes the limited space. The musical score is by Beth Custer. Lies You Can Dance To investigates how the human body responds to lies told over and over at the level of national policy. The performance explores "the bending of democracy that currently surrounds us, and how this resonates kinesthetically in the bodies of its citizens." Text includes excerpts from Gore Vidal, as well as additional text written by Kreiter. Artists David Fredrickson and Sean Riley contribute a visual installation created from hanging newspapers and miniature scales of justice.
Kathleen Hermesdorf is one of the Bay Area's most beloved performers and teachers, and in the last few years she has been creating beautiful collaborations with composer Albert Mathias. Their company is called MOTIONLAB . While Hermesdorf's performing and teaching have overshadowed her choreographic output, her work with Mathias is unlike anything else seen in the Bay Area. Presently, they are the artists in residence at ODC, and they'll be presenting a new work titled Fate + Longing, which will also feature video by Sheldon B. Smith and lighting design by Elaine Buckholtz. Fate + Longing consists of three sections including Weight/Fractal, a duet by Hermesdorf and Mathias; The Moerae, a trio that reveals the connections between Greek mythology and superstring theory; and Longing Cycles, which features an exploration of yearning through intention and surrender, patience and futility.
Another popular teacher/choreographer is the vibrant Stacey Printz, who directs her company Printz Dance Project . Printz has wisely chosen to develop a longterm relationship with the Cowell Theater at Fort Mason, and this makes seeing her concerts a real treat. While it's always great to see contemporary dance in the hood, it's also nice to be in a real theater and have a traditional theatrical experience. This year, Printz continues to work with composers including Ajayi Jackson and Carlos (Infinite) Aguirre. Printz's choreography is a refreshing combination of classical training, athletic movement and a hip hop sensibility (this year's program even features hip hop choreographer Eric Fenn). Because Printz trains many of her dancers at the SF Dance Center, you can see a very distinct style of movement that is not being developed anywhere else. World premieres this year include Being Y, which features an all-male cast; as well as repertory pieces Birds, Bees and Other Metaphors, Beat Sequitur and Duality .
Choreographer Chris Black returns with a new piece titled Pastime, A Dance About Baseball. Interestingly, Black chose to set the new work on actual baseball fields around the city (Justin Herman Plaza Park, Precita Park and Golden Gate Park), and the performances are free. Black's premise stems from Roger Angell's quote, "Baseball seems to have been invented solely for the purpose of explaining all other things in life."
Black's other inspiration was her dream of being the first female pitcher for the NY Yankees. Pastime has its genesis in Black's childhood fascinations with both dance and baseball, and she has created an impressive body of work during her 15-year career here in San Francisco. Says Black, "I like big, visceral dancing, and I want Pastime to capture the sheer fun and athleticism of the movement, but also reveal what really makes it tick — the darker machinations that simmer under the surface. We think of it as this almost lazy, pastoral game, but that's deceptive."
Flyaway Productions at The Marsh, 1062 Valencia St., SF. Sept. 14-16 at 7 p.m. Tickets ($15-22): (800) 838-3006 or www.themarsh.org.
MOTIONLAB at ODC Theater, 3153 17th St., SF. Oct. 10-14 at 8 p.m. Tickets ($18-$20): (415) 863-9834 or www.odctheater.org.
Printz Dance Project at Cowell Theater, Ft. Mason, Marina Blvd. & Buchanan St. Oct. 11-13, at 8 p.m. Tickets ($18-$20): (415) 345-7575. Info: www.printzdance.org.
Pastime, Sat. & Sun., Sept. 15-16, 22-23, 29-30 at 1:05 p.m. See www.potrzebie.com for locations.