Word must be getting around about the provocative, entertaining productions presented by UNLV's dance department. Last weekend's performances of Kinetic Metaphors at the Judy Bayley Theatre drew near-capacity crowds and even had mature, ticket-buying patrons outnumbering collegians in the audience.
Fifty students participated in works choreographed by faculty members and guest artists. Each piece was introduced with filmed snippets of rehearsals in which some choreographers explained their creations. Others didn't, but should have.
Episodes, the program's dazzling opener by Cirque du Soleil's Charmaine Hunter, skillfully blended classical ballet with contemporary styles. Especially effective was a slow-motion duet at center stage, surrounded by a fast and furiously moving ensemble.
Richard Havey's choreography for Apology exuded musical clarity and effortless fluidity: a dance to just sit back and enjoy.
Among the three apparently unrelated sections was a trio with erotic undercurrents, featuring talented Jason Hortin, and a lyrical harem dance that was captivating but too long.
For Carole Rae's Perpetual Motion, Beth Mehocic created a "video poem" projected onto a movie screen. Its kaleidoscopic, ever-changing images were more compelling than the dance. Mehocic also composed the score. Rae's Tango Suite was a take-off on the passions and rivalry typical of the genre.
Margot Mink Colbert's Enclosures, reminiscent of Bronislava Nijinska's 1923 masterwork Les Noces, may have pleased music lovers more than dance lovers. A live performance of Zoltan Kodaly's Duo for Violin and Cello accompanied the dance—more often as background than as partner. The choreography rarely seemed connected to it in mood or structure.
Violinist Byron Tauchi and cellist Andrew Smith gave brilliant performances, communicating all of the music's nobility and poignancy, and were rewarded with enthusiastic ovations.
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The intriguing premise for Jacquelyn Bird's The Painting has an artist entering her own canvas, only to find herself an unwelcome intruder. It was an appealing number, though the choreography didn't always rise to the level of the idea.
The concert closed with a work almost as overwhelming as its title: Ocean. This impressive and impressionistic piece by Louis Kavouras was influenced by Carl Jung's theory of collective consciousness, and though deep, was always accessible, thanks in part to the free style, naturalistic choreography.
Sometimes the stage was a uniform blanket of bodies; at other times, separate groups executed contrasting movements that never disturbed Ocean's overall harmony. Whether by accident or design, a surreal effect was created when the dancers' shadows, impressed upon a filmed projection of splashing surf, appeared to enter the water.
Dancing was excellent throughout the concert, and was enhanced by inspired lighting designs and a skilled stage crew.