Kris Eitland

San Diego Arts

Paul Taylor Dance Company at CCA, Escondido

Tour de Force
By Kris Eitland
Posted on Wed, Nov 5th, 2008
Last updated Thu, Nov 6th, 2008

The powerful one-night performance by the Paul Taylor Dance Company at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido, reaffirmed Taylor's fondness for beautiful bodies, social commentary, and absurd satire.

Taylor thrilled with the visually stunning "Mercuric Tidings," (1982) to open the three-dance program. Set to excerpts from Franz Schubert's Symphonies Nos. 1 and 2, an ensemble of 13 soars in a continuous flow of leaps and fast footwork. Speedy hops, pique turns, and hip-to-hip lifts echo folk dance forms that leave us beaming.

The men are large with rippled torsos and powerful shoulders, yet quick and light on their feet. They resemble a youthful Taylor (a six foot three former swimmer), and in unison sequences, the men become an awesome regiment of Taylor clones. There is no plot to worry about, and it's a joy to witness the sheer athleticism, as bodies become a blur of raspberry red costumes and skin. Even more fascinating are variations of the movement, slowed down with additional smooth grapevines, circles and angular lifts and twirls.

Consider the many dances that Taylor has shared with the world over the last 54 years, and you'll see one common denominator: fearless. Throughout the 76-year-old choreographer's career, his work has changed in style and approach, and it seems no theme is off limits. He's shocked audiences by focusing on taboo relationships and hypocrisy. And he's utilized a wide range of music from classical to pop.

In "Changes," (2008) Taylor uses the soaring harmonies of the Mamas and Papas (John Phillips) to remember the 1960's, but it's a rather sanitized flashback. Thanks to colorful hippie costumes - bellbottoms, fringy vests, headbands and Nehru-collars - by Santo Loquasto, we meet happy flower children engaged in windmill spins and groovy moves like the jerk with hints of the Watusi. They even pass a joint, but most often the music and clothes are more interesting than the action.

An angry woman scares away her pals with big punches, like a crazed Janice Joplin letting loose on her roadies, and the group poses and lounges evoking images of an old news reel. It's a bummer scene that becomes a drag and then turns bizarre. Everyone can relate to "Straighter Shooter" and "California Dreaming," but the section set to "Dancing Bear" is acid-trip strange. A lumberjack climbs out of a bear suit and consoles a man-boy in footy pajamas. It just doesn't jive.

In spite of some heart-stopping spins where two dancers roll another like a tractor tire, "Changes" doesn't reflect the violent uprisings or passionate demonstrations from the Vietnam era that demanded change. It merely scratches the surface and offers more entertainment than commentary.

Taylor's brilliant "Le Sacre du Printemps (The Rehearsal)" is far more complex, and it reveals his wit and ability to craft a narrative. Unlike the original, Niijnsky's famed masterpiece, or Pina Bauch's frightening sacrificial interpretation in peat moss, Taylor lampoons old detective mysteries, yet he doesn't forget his sense of humor. The tale has so many layers of twisted tragedy that you don't know when to laugh or cringe.

The movement is highly stylized, strangely flat and jerky, and set to Stravinsky's arrangement for two pianos from the legendary ballet score that was created for Niijnsky. The tension and dissonance propels a curious dance within a dance - the rehearsal of a surreal ballet - that features a bizarre slate of characters.

Michael Trusnovec is captivating as the dorky Private Eye who tries to help The Girl (Annmaria Mazzini) who finally succumbs to grief and madness. Together they battle evil kidnappers and fiends through melodramatic skitters and angled bunny hops that conjure images of choppy silent films. Odd knife attacks and the demise of a bundled baby are both disturbing and funny, and it all plays out under the watchful eye of a dominating Rehearsal Mistress played by Laura Halzack, a towering personality who ties the two stories together.

Stiff and frenzied sequences test the skill and stamina of dancers in this piece, such as Mazzini's hysterical mother finale, and full body twirls and daring shoulder climbs show that Taylor's dancers truly enjoy taking risks. They know how to partner, and they share Taylor's wonderful fearless trait.

Download program1

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Download Paul Taylor Biography

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
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