As the curtain rises on this fall’s Performing Dance Company, a quiet anticipation falls over the audience. The lights go up softly and as a red glow encapsulates the stage and eerie music blares from the speakers, we are immediately engaged in a world of concentration and apprehension. Sharee Lane’s piece, revolving around the concept of colors and their relation to chakras, utilized her number of dancers well, incorporating many intricate wrist and hand movements. The piece flowed through three movements, a gradient in sound and color towards a general lightness, while drawing the mind toward a memory of human connectivity. This piece also exuded versatility, as it catered well to both modern and ballet backgrounds/styles.
The second piece is conceptual, if anything. I don’t want to give too much away about Satu Hummati’s experience, so I’ll just clue you in to the basics. It ends with some incredible movement qualities by the dancers. In the interim, there is singing, shouting, a disco ball and a pretty intensive cardiovascular workout. Overall, it’s intriguing and confusing, but very well-executed by the performers.
The third piece opens on a bare stage, looking like a Matrix-esque bio-dome. Eric Handman’s choreography transports us into a robotic world of martial art-inspired movement. Handman brings in many influences from these roots, focusing heavily on disturbances of the body, as well as familiarity with development (these recognizable patterns come back again later in the piece, with multiple twists on the original movement, incorporating complex patterns of bodies). As these dancers connect with each other, you’ll want to connect with the world they create.
The show closes with an original work by Lesley Telford, a renowned dancer and choreographer, who came to Utah to cast and set the piece. A pedestrian exploration of mass effects, this layered look into space pushes the limits on how far one can move, as well as how evolution of movement can transcend throughout a group.
PDC will transport you into a multitude of movements, giving you a glimpse into the connections between people through the connectivity of dancers. It will make you decipher and interpret for yourself and open your mind to the possibilities of music and movement in a generally ethereal realm. To experience this multi-faceted world, head to the Marriott Center for Dance on Thursday at 5:30 p.m., Friday at 7:30 p.m. or Saturday at 7:30 p.m.