Dance
Dance Umbrella (Queen Elizabeth Hall)
Hypnotic change
thannandrea Pomo
For many, Stephen Petronio is the American contemporary choreographer known for having created a dance genre in which a powerful choreographic content is complemented by equally powerful and controversial visual devices, such as intrigu- ing or shocking costumes. In addition, his works have often been regarded as politi- cally dense ones, where specific and often uncomfortable statements are constantly embedded either in the danced action or in the intentionally provocative imagery.
It would not have been surprising, there- fore, if some dance-goers were slightly dis- appointed at the performance of his company, with which this year's Dance Umbrella took off last week. It would appear, in fact, that in his most recent cre- ations Petronio has discarded, if not refuted, those well-established canons. With the exception of #4, where a rather disturbing porcupine-like costume immediately draws the attention of the viewer, the other dances presented in the same programme stand out more for their technical and choreographic density than for their visual and metaphori- cal apparatus. Indeed, in the 1997 two-part creation ReBOURNE, the different costum- ing of the dancers reflects, as in a colour- coded score, the particular phrasing of the choreography and the complex nuances of the constantly varying relationship between the music and the movement.
Yet, an appreciation of both the struc- ture and the dynamic developments of the danced action does not require a full study of the dancers' attire. The controversial subtext to be found in Petronio's early work is superseded by a true celebration of movement for movement's sake. This par- ticular choreographic approach, however, does not lack visual power. The chosen vocabulary — in which echoes of Petronio's past experiences with Trisha Brown can be easily detected — as well as the chosen syn- `You can tell he ',vent to a good school.' tax stem from a thorough exploration of diverse possibilities which, in the end, results in a dazzling variety of choreo- graphic solutions. It could be said — and it has been said — that Petronio has moved backwards. There is little doubt that choreographic ideas such as the repetition of the same dance phrase in diverse visual and musical contexts, as well as the related concept of movement exploration can hardly be seen as innovations. Still, it is Petronio's unique and — for those who do not have the chance of following him closely — unex- pected way of approaching these solutions that confers a special quality to his recent creations and hints at a kind of progres- sion, based on an in-depth rethinking of the past. However disappointing it might have been for some, this move from one choreographic mode to another has not affected that distinctive breathtaking, yet refined quality of his dancing style. Far from being filled with gratuitous and emp- tily sensational virtuoso feats, Petronio's recent choreography is energetically hyp- notic. No wonder the evening was a suc- cess, particularly because of the excellent members of the company, dancers one can only dream of.
The quest for novelty constitutes a prob- lem that does not affect only major dance personalities and groups, but emerging ones as well. It is difficult, however, to judge what is new and what is not, for what might be considered obsolete within one culture is, in effect, regarded as innovative some- where else. Spain's contribution to the con- temporary European dance culture is relatively recent. Although in previous years the Dance Umbrella season showed some interesting Spanish performances, an iden- tifiable national genre has yet to be found. It is not surprising, therefore, that groups like Lanonima Imperial are still experi- menting with formulae that appear awfully dated to those who have witnessed the development of the Tanztheater and the rise and fall of the more anarchic 'avant- garde' dance genres. The one-hour long Change your Land- scape, I am afraid, was anything but enticing or exciting. Gone are the days when a rock band interacted with the dancers, and `poor' technical or visual solutions — such as an old cranky gramophone playing a nos- talgic song or a dusty curtain shifted side- ways — were seen as an act of rebellion against the culture of the establishment. Pity, for the dancers seemed really commit- ted and physically talented. Still, cultural barriers can hardly justify the naive and trite movement solutions adopted through- out the performance — an odd mixture of techniques such as I have not seen in years. Even to some 'green' viewers — namely some first year BA dance students, who are generally less fussy and discriminating than other experienced dance viewers — the performance looked odd and devoid of any meaning.
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