Review: CATERINA RAGO DANCE COMPANY Sparks Passion in Labir Into

New York Live Arts hummed with anticipation on Thursday, October 6, 2016 at the premiere of Caterina Rago Dance Company's three-day run of Labir Into. In a bare, nondescript theater, the responsibility fell upon the company to dazzle, to make the space more than just four walls and a stage floor. Not only did they achieve this, but they transcended limitation, taking the audience on a thrilling journey.

The full-evening work began peacefully as a lone dancer took the stage in silhouette, accompanied by the soft sounds of early morning. Carrying a large stack of books upon her head, she slowly and methodically walked her way through an intricate labyrinth on the floor, always moving at a steady, weighted pace. Suddenly, the music warped into something unexpected; a striking interplay of intensity and delicacy that represented the company of dancers who appeared on stage.

Moving with crisp synchronicity and feverish purpose, the dancers started their plight by catching books from offstage and carefully arranging them within the labyrinth. With an emphasis on Graham technique, such as grounded runs and repeated contractions, the dancers ebbed and flowed like waves in high tide, surpassing the dance and continuing the story of self-cultivation and self-discovery. With each movement and every shift in the musicality, the dancers' exploration of self continued to deepen, oscillating between dark and light, ground and air, illusion and reality. A true standout of the entire piece was a series of floor slides, repeated consecutively on center stage from each dancer. The sweeping motion of each slide only enhanced the piece's emphasis on spirals, prolonging the circularity of the motion and the cadence throughout.

Though the piece became repetitive toward the end - it could have been streamlined for both time and content - the company succeeded in bringing a fresh perspective to a dance form that has been around for over 100 years. Rago's choreography is palpably alive, pulsing through the room with sound, motion and light to communicate a much larger story. This company embodies why modern dance is so exciting.

Photo Credit: Federica Dall' Orso