The PGK Project's 'Full Circle' at SDSU's Studio Theater
With Guest artist Donna Scro Gentile and Freespace Dance
By Kris Eitland
Posted on Feb 03 2008
Last updated Mar 24 2008
"Full Circle" is the touring project of two companies, The PGK Project (A Contemporary Dance Company) of San Diego and Freespace Dance out of New Jersey. Lead by PGK's Peter Kalivas and Freespace's Donna Scro Gentile, their East/West collaboration that opened Friday night at San Diego State University's Studio Theater could be called "Hop-scotching the Globe." Through October, the troupes will travel to five American states, Athens, Greece, and finally Astana, Kazakhstan.
The program of six dances opens with a defining solo by Kalivas, an internationally known artist who's performed and set work for several San Diego dance companies and theaters. His rich 20-year resume crosses paths with Scro Gentile several times.
In his solo, "Running Backwards," Kalivas's thick body moves as a slow reptilian creature, gradually heating up and speeding up as the light becomes warmer. He is intensely likeable as he stretches and rolls with amazing lightness and he captivates with his presence and slight grin.
Another highlight is "This Moment," a tantalizing duet choreographed and performed by Kalivas and Scro Gentile that has the couple scampering over and under a table in a physical quarrel. They move seamlessly and exude confidence and wisdom in rebounds and twists. A powerful section has a distraught Scro Gentile sweeping her hands over the table, pondering their crumbling relationship. Kalivas ends up alone and repeats the desperate sequence in a stunning climax. Maureen Hanratty's lighting design in the piece is exquisitely understated and exact, as it is throughout the production.
San Diego dancers Deven Brawley and Justin Viernes also thrill in the vivid duet "Streams" set to the quirky techno-garbled sounds of Helga Pogatschor. The men are excellent partners in contrast (accented by very cool Mohawk hairstyles, Brawley's in red, Vierenes in black) and they soar in unison leaps and sinuous extensions. Choreographed by Kalivas, the piece is innovative and energized to the very end; the ending is punctuated by a wonderfully crisp snap of their heads.
The premiere of "Full Circle," a collaboration by Kalivas and San Diego dancers (Brawley, Viernes, Ericka Aisha Moore, Cecil Pratt, Sondra Kazama, and Erica Buechner), is a chaotic exercise in grid patterns and undulations. The dance is hypnotic and groovy but feels like a work in progress. (On Friday, lifts were rocky and heavy). The head-banging music of Kodo is torturous as well. The strongest sequences have only pairs or trios in front of a watery video projected on the back wall. Having a line of dancers weave and stare into the back wall is uninspired and simply clutters the space. When the wall is free of bodies, one can appreciate gorgeous shoulders swirling to become part of the backdrop. The premiere duet "I Might Be Falling" with Megan Jenkins and Kalivas also suffers from heaviness and clunky transitions that need to be smoothed out.
"Tantrix" by Scro Gentile offers stronger movement and jazzy performances by Scro Gentile and Kalivas, and Freespace dancers Dan Mueller, Blair Ritchie, Jennifer Segovia and Nicole Smith. Mueller is especially flexible and animated, as is Scro Gentile who commands the stage with her presence and full-out physicality. Strangely, the movement flashes back to high school dance teams and Cheer competitions. Still, tosses are gutsy and unison sequences are precise. The strongest partnering has dancers beam at each other instead of the audience. Set to a dynamic score by Matt Meyer, this playful piece is a polished bit of fun that rounds out a fast-moving production. The San Diego run of "Full Circle" ends today at 2 p.m. at the Studio Theater, ENS 200, San Diego State University.
Download program
Download program
Download program
| Dates | : | Feb. 1-3, 2008 |
| Organization | : | The PGK Project and Freespace Dance |
| Production Type | : | Dance |
| Region | : | College Area |
| URL | : | ThePGKProject@aol.com |
About the author: Kris Eitland's critiques and features have appeared in Dance Magazine, Dance San Diego Magazine, San Diego CityBeat, sandiegotheaterscene.com, and sandiego.com since 2006. Her writing career includes stints in both commercial and public radio news. She studied dance extensively at the University of Minnesota-Duluth and SDSU and holds a journalism degree
More by this author.
Share this article
Subscribe to Arts
·
Comments
Copyright 2008 sandiego.com, Inc. All rights reserved. Content may not be reproduced without written consent.
