BWW Reviews: FALL FOR DANCE Kicks Off with a High Energy Evening at the Delacorte

The Public Theater was founded on the idea that "Culture belongs to everyone." While Fall for Dance Festival is a brainchild of New York City Center and not The Public, this mandate is similarly a founding principle of the festival. Each performance costs $15 and consists of four works from leading dance companies and artists. This year, City Center commissioned three works in addition to four American premieres and four New York City premieres. Last year, at the tenth anniversary of the festival, City Center partnered with The Public to present two free performances at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. It was so successful that Fall for Dance at the Delacorte will become the annual kick off event. This year, the program consisted of works presented by Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, New York City Ballet, Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, and Lil Buck.

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago is known for its innovative choreography by living artists. Gnawa, first created by Nacho Duato in 2005, contrasts a couple in nude body suits with a large group of dancers in gold pants and classic, black modern dance dresses. As a whole, the work is grounded and primal. The couple moves slowly and beautifully while the group dances quickly with angular movements. On Friday night, the audience's eye was constantly moving and the choreography was well paced. Gnawa showed off the talent of the Hubbard Street Dancers and was a delight to watch.

New York City Ballet offered Herman Scherman Pas de Deux, choreographed by William Forsythe in 1992. The structure of the piece remains consistent with that of a traditional pas de deux: the man and woman dance together, the man dances, the woman dances, and then they dance together again. Ultimately, the dance itself seems today very dated. Maria Kowroski and Amar Ramasar dance to synthetic music and wear severe costumes. The mood lightens following Kowroski's costume change into a yellow ice-skater skirt, when Ramasar comes out in a yellow skirt of his own. The dancers attitudes lighten and their movements seem brighter. This mood was very much in the air at the Delacorte; both dancers were clearly having fun. However, this work makes one wonder how today's dance trends (loose hair, flowing skirts, pop music) will be received twenty years later.

Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company also presented an older work, D-Man in the Waters (Part I), first premiered in 1989. Yet, it feels much more relevant than Forsyth's pas de deux. Nine dancers, accompanied by live musicians playing Mendelssohn's Octet in E-Flat Major for Strings Op. 20, focus on the intricacies of the music. Dancers move in and out on stage, constantly changing positions and partners. The work climaxes with a dramatic waterfall of dancers running, diving, and sliding across the stage on their stomachs. While the work benefits from the attention to the music, it at times crosses the line between clever and cute. The quick crossing of arms mimicking the violins is successful, but positioning the dancers' arms into whole notes during long moments in the music is not.

The finale was a commissioned work from the unique artist Lil Buck. Starting in 2011 as a YouTube sensation, Lil Buck has quickly evolved into a superstar. His combination of jookin (a Memphis-based street dance) and ballet has proved to be one of the most exciting dance innovations in the last five years. The dance world has not sat idly by. Lil Buck has toured with Madonna, stared in a Gap ad, and worked with New York City Ballet. City Center commissioned Bend in the Road: New Orleans, which focuses on the specific flavor of New Orleans, from Lil Buck and his frequent collaborator Damian Woetzel, former City Ballet dancer and current Artistic Director of the Vail International Dance Festival. The audience audibly groaned when it was revealed in an introduction by Woetzel that Lil Buck had sprained his ankle and would not be performing. Instead, Bend in the Road: New Orleans had been quickly re-choreographed to feature Ron "Prime Tyme" Myles. Myles was a charismatic lead, learning about New Orleans through Caroline Fermin as the spirit of the city, a live jazz band, and jazz dancers (BalletX). City Ballet dancers Tiler Peck and Robert Fairchild performed a cameo as newlyweds (mimicking real life), highlighting the romantic history and atmosphere of New Orleans. They are danced off the stage by a New Orleans traditional wedding send off parade: the bride and groom dance with black and white parasols while the party follows behind them waiving handkerchiefs-the jazz band even danced behind them! The work ended with a frenzied performance by Myles, which incorporated elements from all of the performers while they moved in slow motion behind him. The story bordered on cheesy but the performance was fun. There was, however, a wistful moment: after watching Lil Buck hop around the stage on crutches during the encore, the question "what if" lingered.

Friday's performance proved that Fall for Dance is a must-see event in New York City cultural life. The low cost and innovative content results in dance neophytes siting next to veterans. Ultimately, Fall for Dance provides the opportunity that every New Yorker is looking for: to see something new, different, and exciting.

Photo credit: Tammy Shell

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