BWW Reviews: INTERMEZZO DANCE COMPANY Features Large-Scale Talent in a Small-Scale Venue

New York is the home of some of the most renowned and exemplary dance companies in the world, such as New York City Ballet and American Ballet Theater. It is quite easy for New York balletomanes to fall into the habit of seeing the same iconic and large-scale works year after year. While there is nothing wrong with seeing particular dancers perform well-known works with their respective companies repeatedly, it is quite refreshing to see some of these New York based dancers perform new works on a much smaller scale. Intermezzo Dance Company does just that. This new chamber company, established by Craig Salstein of American Ballet Theater, seeks to provide a creative outlet for highly trained dancers in an intimate setting. On January 17th, 2015, at the Miller Theatre at Columbia University, the Intermezzo Dance Company performed works that brought together great dancers, both freelance and from well-established companies, as well as five different choreographers. Each choreographer collaborated with visual artists who created paintings based on one of the dance pieces.

The program included pieces by Mr. Salstein, Gemma Bond, Cherylan Lavagnino, Adam Hendrickson and Ja' Malik. The theme of the evenings' program was centered on Greek mythology. The first piece was Craig Salstein's "The Myth of Sisyphus," based on Albert Camus's essay of the same title. For this work, Salstein commissioned composer Patrick Soulri to create a new score. The piece was performed by five dancers, including New York City Ballet principal, Abi Stafford. The dancers, especially the female dancers, were technically proficient and demonstrated seamless, controlled transitions in their movement phrases. "The Myth of Sisyphus" was comprised of a few sections, each separated by a blackout. Every section had quite a gloomy aura--the lighting was quite dark and the movement had a lethargic pace. While the overall mood of the piece was quite monotone, Mr. Salstein was effective in his choreographic portrayal of the boulder that Sisyphus is destined to push for eternity.

The second piece of the evening was choreographed by Gemma Bond and provided a nice contrast to the somber piece before it. Ms. Bond's "Mythology," set to David Diamond's Concerto for Small Orchestra: Prelude and Fugue II, was based on the Greek myth of the Trojan horse. While I did not quite see elements of this tale through the choreography, what I did see was Ms. Bond's ability to create quick, petit allegro-styled movement. One of the dancers in this piece, Nicole Graniero, particularly stood out for her ability to execute fast footwork with precision and grace. Ms. Bond and Ms. Graniero are both members of American Ballet Theater's corps de ballet. I have often seen Ms. Graniero dance small, but featured roles, in the company's full- length ballets. It was a pleasure to watch her take a much more prominent role in this evenings' works.

Ms. Graniero was also featured in Ja' Malik's "Journey to Pandora," set to music composed by Philip Glass. The six dancers in this piece were all dressed in white and portrayed various Greek Gods and Goddesses. This piece, unlike the others on the program, included a long section that featured a male duet. Ja' Malik's use of contemporary arm movements, such as shaking of the hands and inwardly rotated stretches of the arms, distinguished his style from the other choreographers.

Unlike "Journey to Pandora," Cherylyn Lavagnino's "Hera's Wrath," set to Edvard Greig's, Folkelivsbilder-Opus 19, was clear in terms of its narrative. This piece featured three dancers and told the story of Queen Hera's anger at Zeus for having an affair with a mortal princess. The pas de deux between the mortal princess and Zeus, danced by Temple Kemezis and Alfredo Solivan, was quite lovely; Ms. Kemezis's extension, precision and foot arches were very beautiful.

The highlight of the evening was Hendrickson's "Black is The Colour of My True Love's Hair," set to music from Oedipus; Music for a While and Black is The Color of My True Love's Hair (a traditional Scottish song). This piece was a solo performed by Kaitlyn Gilliland, a former New York City Ballet dancer. This solo was the least balletic piece of the evening in that Ms. Gilliland was not wearing pointe shoes, a leotard or a bun in her hair. Instead, she was wearing a midriff bearing, loose fitting black shirt and shorts; her hair was down, slightly messy and she often ran her fingers through it. Ms. Gilliland moved with abandon and freedom, yet she had complete control of the stage. She clearly had amazing technical virtuosity; her fluidity and ease of movement captivated my attention. Mr. Hendrickson's choreography was quite intriguing, although I did grow tired of hearing Ms. Gilliland repeatedly slap her thigh. Still, Mr. Hendrickson demonstrated a talent for choreography, for it is difficult to create a solo that can hold its own on a program full of group pieces.

It is a treat to see such talented dancers, choreographers, painters and composers collaborate to create new works. I hope Intermezzo Dance Company continues to grow, develop and introduce audiences to new, artistic vision.

Photo Credit: Sarah Sterner

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