OU dance recital offers verve, energy
An opening number, “The Warm Up," and a final piece with a lilting Irish folk feel nicely bracketed a University of Oklahoma dance program.
The Contemporary Dance Oklahoma recital was previewed Thursday at OU’s Elsie C. Brackett Theatre, 563 Elm Ave., in Norman.
In the first brief segment, the company warmed up to music played for class by the late Boyd Littell — done in memory of the 15-year OU accompanist.
More challenging, but also both evocative and provocative, were the rest of the offerings, which were interpreted with great verve and energy.
In the first piece, “Acceptance,” performers danced both inside and outside a black, openwork “house,” seemingly held together by glittering spiderweblike wires.
Clad in thin pink costumes over black tights, the two male and about eight female performers were riveting, making onlookers readily accept “Acceptance.”
Choreographed by OU Associate Director Roxanne Lyst, to edgy modern music from four sources, “Acceptance” built to a forceful cumulative impact.
Having a strangely modern yet almost neo-primitive feel was “A Flock of Dreams,” guest choreographed by Jean-Guillaume Weis to “Metropolis” by Andre Mergenthaler.
A great many women, clad in loosely draped, nearly neutral-color costumes, not only bonded, but pulled, pushed and dragged each other across stage in the haunting number.
Delightfully mixing ballet and modern dance elements, after intermission, was “Impromptu,” choreographed to multiple music sources, by OU Artistic Director Austin Hartel.
Lines of female dancers in white took tiny, mincing, sideways steps, en pointe, while other women, also in white, danced barefoot and much more freely in “Impromptu.”
Interacting with both groups of women in white, and conveying strong romantic chemistry, were purple-clad female soloist Julie Russel and casually attired male soloist Kieran King.
Adding to the almost dreamlike appeal of “Impromptu” was its visual backdrop, consisting of a long white, horizontal cloud, or clouds, in a pure blue sky.
Ending the evening was a Celtic feel-good piece, “Skin Walkers,” guest choreographed by David Hochoy, to music by T.H. Gillespie and L.E. McCullough, plus jazz violin by Cathy Morris.
Soloists Joie Rice and Jessica Liske joined a female company in a reel of step and square dance-like groupings, embellished with hand and arm to shoulder gestures, in “Skin Walkers.”
Containing three world premieres, the OU contemporary dance bill is highly recommended.
— John Brandenburg, for
The Oklahoman