Dance
Pot-pourri
Jan Murray
Now that contemporary dance has reachedd the decade mark in this country it seerne appropriate, even necessary, to organise a showcase festival for all those small fringe groups which have evolved from t11.4e pioneering ensembles, the Ballet Ramhe' and the London Contemporary Dance Theatre, or the influential dance depart; ment of Dartington College in Devon. Ann so it came to pass, with the Dance Umbrae '78 taking place during overlaPPulAg fortnights at Riverside Studios and the the packed schedule ending on November. During this period t"encouraging (funding bodies would 51 alarming) total of ten British groups ann seven soloists plus a quartet of Amer1ca'. individuals have been presented, backed nIld by master classes, workshops, seminars an, film shows. To general astonishrneu" almost every event has been a near sell-ont' The basic criteria for inclusion under thef shelter of the Umbrella was, in the case nt the British companies, a degree of sa1313°,trs from the Arts Council and/or a regional a—re association. The American soloists vvc` t selected because they represent varying b,,e9 important trends in the New York clan't scene, whence almost every imP°10 breakthrough in the field has sprungwith such a potpourri it is possible to drn!'s some conclusions about the direction of rapidly expanding art form and its youthw exponents. An American guest, Douglas Dunn, s'etir technical standard on the opening ing f which has not yet been achieved by allY12,1 the native groups or, for that matter, 013.11s' dancers in our more established comPaIlle; Because of Dunn's uncompromising Pf,„,", sentation — no sound accompaniment, pie, albeit, effective lighting, a retiringent; tume of navy trousers and shirt — Plus the rigorous structure of his extended solos, .. was greeted by bafflement and derision c'll; the part of a few , more knowledgea,13 acceptance or excitement from the innif„it ity. His is not a comfortable approach. "", " I with such physical and intellectual contrn!t even within a supposedly abstract format, , became clear why Dunn was chosen t's introduce the tumble of movement event which were to follow. It is easy enough to deplore the shaky technique evinced by several of the novice grow‘ys: and tense shoulders on display. But those who have been following the progress of the nonce fringe (none of these dancers have Worked together for more than three or four Years) could rejoice in very real progress at that most basic level. The Extemporary i anee Company, for example, have in 1%vigail Ben An and Corrine Bougaard two beautifully svelte movers, while the East Midland's EMMA, which shared an evening with this touring ensemble, has not only raised its overall performing standard but attracted a new man (and men are always at a premium), Nigel Qilvier, who shows real Promise. Similarly, Junction has lured an s-Rambert principal, Lenny Westerdijk, into its ranks, with a resulting improvement O n the part of other members. Westerdijk also choreographed a moody, Well crafted pas de dewc for EMMA, to songs by Richard Strauss, and thence we come to the overriding concern of all dance Companies, not just the new ones: repertory. The groups participating in the ,umbrella have received public funding their they have proved their worth and their box office appeal, even if they perform Primarily in community centres and tiny theatres, schools and galleries. In order to ,attract a public they must present a well.balaneed programme which excludes much in the way of `dangerous' experimentation. There are never enough choreographers of quality to meet the demand — and that is as t!ite of the Royal Ballet as it is of the rawest fringe group —so the director is left with the Choice of doing it all himself, calling on the sante few dancemakers who are willing to create for small commission fees, or encouraging the dancers to mount their own efforts. Thus, the same choreographers Were represented on several different Umbrella programmes, which tended to Obscure the identity of the separate companies and cause confusion in the minds of even the keenest dance fan. Granted, this testival is a surfeit anyone required to attend it f even half the forty performances, and the companies, when do their out on the road, own thing with a real sense of have purpose. But it is depressing to to to continually check your programme to see which company is actually onstage at that moment. In consequence the American, individualists to a man or those British groups .which have adopted a particular stance stood out in the generalised mele. Among the imports, Remy Charlip's 'Solo Dances' Produced a definite jolt, being wistful, poetic, concerned with imagery and often near Motionless. Similarly Another American, dancer Brooke Myers, gave a movementMonologue based on excerpts from the writings of Zelda Fitzgerald which had some critics compgood complaining that she was very g but that it wasn't really dance. In both instances the blinkered were unable to appreciate that only trained dancers could have performed those pieces, and that other elements (in Myers's case, an absorbing, fragmented text; in Charlip's a body painting and handtalk used by deaf mutes) may well be necessary in order to continue expanding the frontiers of dance as a discipline and as an art. Of the British ensembles, the most distinctive stylistically, although in some ways the most difficult for the public, are those run by choreographers Rosemary Butcher and Richard Alston, who follow the American practice of being responsible for the entire rep. (Butcher included one work by a dancer, Sue MacLennan, and it was a good work but might just have well have been done by Butcher.) Otherwise, there remains that ebullient black group the MAAS Movers, who transcend their sometimes mediocre material by sheer warmth and joy in moving. And that, after seventeen performances, is the best I can do in the way of conclusions: technique improving; choreography tending to mark time in order to please the public; the Americans still rule as far as innovation and sheer poise go, which is inevitable; a stimulating, if sometimes muddled, season with large and avid audiences.
Previous page
