Established in 1987, The Parsons Dance Company is one of the world's foremost dance troupes with a repertoire of 40 pieces, including 10 with commissioned scores. Eight dancers, four each of men and women, complement choreographer/dancer David Parsons in a series of pieces spanning a variety of musical and choreographic styles. The Company performed at the Hopkins Center's Moore Theater last Friday and Saturday.
A chief hallmark of Parsons' choreographic style is the arrangement of his dancers. Symmetry and structure are sparingly employed, replaced with expressive gestures and motion.
On showy, stylized pieces like "Caught" and "Union," this style is particularly effective. "Union" is a sensual, evocative piece. Centered on the stage, the dancers pass each other around, join and break apart, evoking a swirling sea anemone.
"Caught" showcases aerial dynamics and inventive lighting. Moving to futuristic music by King Crimson's Robert Fripp, a single dancer takes the stage. A strobe light flashes and he begins to leap, timed just so that the light catches him in midair. He appears to walk across the stage -- two feet above the floor! Suddenly, the stage is dark but for a spotlight where the dancer stands, absolutely motionless. Clearly, the piece is a real crowd-pleaser.
Howell Binkley's lighting is generally effective, sometimes brilliant. While Parsons claims credit for thinking up the effects in "Caught," Binkley's work on "Destined" holds that piece together. Spotlights and layers of colored light augment choreography set to jazzy, synthesized music. Tall, stately Parsons appears as a Jesus-like figure who bears witness to the other dancers' struggles.
Costume design is, on the whole, unremarkable. "Mood Swing's" combinations are standard fare, while Donna Karan's scant leotards for "Union" are unnecessary in a piece already charged with organic eroticism.
The dancer in "The Almighty," a satire on the depravity of wealth, appears more like a clown in his bright white suit, rather than a businessman. Otherwise, the piece is quite interesting, making use of a rain of dollar bills and telephones attacking the dancer.
As for the performance's minor faults, they were quickly forgotten when "Nascimento" hit the stage. Composed and performed by Milton Nascimento, the score is simultaneously haunting and full of life. The preceding works feature the dancers complemented by the respective scores. Here, it seems as if the troupe is complementing Nascimento's recorded music! An aside: Nascimento is a world-renowned artist who has written music for the likes of Paul Simon, Santana and Sting.
The piece is phenomenal -- clad in colorful, summery clothing, the dancers leap and fly, pulling all kinds of stunts that make one's heart beat with the music. Towards the end, Binkley colors the background red-orange which colors the dancers electric blue, creating a sunset on the stage.
Throughout the performance, the dancers' virtuosity stunned the audience, prompting applause in the middle of pieces. The Parsons Dance Company is an ideal combination of masterful artistry and thrilling entertainment.
