[NEohioPAL] Berko reviews: 'MARK MORRIS DANCE' & '4ISH'

[Roy Berko]

‘MARK MORRIS DANCE’ excites; ‘4ISH’ less than expected

Roy Berko

(Member, Dance Critics Association)

--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--

Lorain County Times--Westlaker Times--Lakewood News
Times--Olmsted-Fairview Times	

--coocleveland.com—


Sold-out Mark Morris Dance Group’s performance
excites!

The Mark Morris Dance Group proved in their recent
Play House Square performance why they are one of the
world’s most prolific dance companies.  Not only does
Mark Morris have over 100 works in its repertory, and
is the only modern dance company with its own
permanent music group, but the company has a unique
and identifiable style.

Morris, who is meticulous in his choreography, takes a
piece of music and creates a movement for each note of
the composition.  These moves center on swinging arms,
powerful jumps, flowing physicality, unexpected
movements, interesting body angles and contorted
fingers.  

Morris centers on music interpretation, not
storytelling.   He shows no favor for harmonic style. 
This program included contemporary, modern, classical
and atonal compositions.  The live music, whether
solos or combinations of cello, piano, violin and
piano, was all well performed.

The company’s dancers, seasoned professionals, are
excellent.  No stars here.  This is a company that
dances as a unit with interchangeable parts.  

Capsule judgement:  Dance Cleveland and Cuyahoga
County College should be congratulated for their
selection of the Mark Morris Dance Group for inclusion
in their modern dance program.  The sold-out audience
responded with a joyous outburst of appreciation at
the conclusion of the program.

Upcoming Dance Cleveland and CCC dance programs are: 
‘URBAN BUSH WOMEN + COMPAGNIE JANT-BI (SENEGAL)’ on
March 1 and ‘LEINE & ROEBANA’ on May 10, both at 8 PM.
 For tickets call 216-241-6000 or go to
www.playhousesquare.com.

4ISH

On the way out of the Saturday morning production of
‘4-ISH,’ Alex Berko (12), the oldest of the “Kid
Reviewers” who accompany me to child-friendly
productions said, “I’d give them a 7 out of 10, but
they could have been much better.”  He went on to
explain that he thought “the dancing was great” and
the “inline skating fun,” but there was “a lack of
cohesion to the program.”  He also thought the “humor
was over-the-heads of the younger kids in the
audience.”  His brother Ian (8) chimed in that he
“liked a lot of it, but he thought there were too many
pauses and that lost his attention.”  As a karate kid
he liked the kung fu. 

>From my perspective, the boys were right on!  

‘4-ISH,” is advertised as a pulse-racing show which
fuses extreme sports with hip-hop dance that creates a
new breed of entertainment.  The group, which is from
Amsterdam, does perform spectacular feats on the two
giant quarter pipes.  This added to kung fu action and
dancing roller skaters with electrified wheels, which
create a whirling light show on a pitch black stage,
opens the possibility for a spectacular show. 
However, there appears to be a disconnect between all
the action and how it is formatted into a program.  

On Friday night the performance was attended by high
school students and some twenty-somethings.  Following
the concert there was a get-together for the attenders
where the cast taught break-dancing and interacted
with the party-goers.  It was probably a better fit
between performers and audience than the mostly very
young kids and their parents and grandparents who
attended the Saturday morning show.

In past years, 4ISH has been in a teaching residence
at Play House Square, but this is the first time that
they have been featured as performers.  Since there
was no printed program, I don’t know who is
responsible for the development of the presentation,
but whoever it is, should probably ask what he wants
the audience to take away from the show  It would also
be wise for the host agency to make sure that young
children are not brought to performances.

Capsule judgement:  ‘4-ISH’ had the potential to
excite and delight an audience.  As is, it was
entertaining, but not up to its potential.  


Roy Berko's blog, which contains theatre and dance reviews from 2001 through 2007, as well as his consulting and publications information, can be found at http://royberko.info
      
Roy's theatre and dance reviews appear regularly on NeOHIOpal, an on-line source.   To subscribe to this free service via the World Wide Web, visit http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/neohiopal.  His reviews also appear on www.coolcleveland.com


      ____________________________________________________________________________________
Looking for last minute shopping deals?  
Find them fast with Yahoo! Search.  http://tools.search.yahoo.com/newsearch/category.php?category=shopping