Gyration, hula hoops and 'Zorba the Greek'

Danceworks' fall show this weekend is a triumph of creative choreography and enthusiastic performers. From the boldly ethnic "Zorba's Dance" to the erotic gyrations of "Gett Off," Danceworks members perform with vigor and expression.

The show opens auspiciously with "Carnival of the Animals, Part I," choreographed by Kerry Fischer, JE '99. With music by Saint-Saens, it proves to be a most impressive introductory number.

The hypnotic strains of Enya provide the background for the well-synchronized "Orinoco Flow," choreographed and performed by Robin Lefkowtiz, DC '01, and Allison O'Neill, ES '01. The two are a seemly match and perform well together.

"Sweet Dreams" provides an abrupt jolt to the ears with the piercing techno beat of La Couche. Choreographed by Anna Carlson, DC '99, the dance takes advantage of the song's cheesy but efficient get-you-on-your-feet style and, it is fast and bright enough to be enjoyable.

Nine dancers, representing both sexes, clothed identically in white blouses, black pants, and dramatically red sashes, take the stage for "Zorba's Dance," an upbeat rendering of a traditional Greek folk dance. Choreographed by Kalliope Tsirilakis, TC '00, the number is a well-timed blur of rapid and intricate leg movements as the dancers move in a tight, burgeoning circle. The cast is sprinkled with "real" Greek performers, whose apparent natural love and flair for the movements is appealing.

"Flood," a popular song by the Christian crossover group Jars of Clay, is an interesting choice of biblically-influenced lyrics that has the potential to hold back dancing movements, but in this case does not. The almost angry, always clean movements of the four performers involved keep the song's sentimentality from taking over and allow the natural rhythms of the music to move the dancers' bodies. Inexplicably entitled "Katie Jay," the dance is well choreographed by KenJin Tan, ES '01. The costumes also add much-needed severity and contrast.

The show may be brief, but an intermission in the middle allows the audience a chance to rustle its programs and compare notes on the previous dances. Thursday night's audience, seated in Berkeley College's dining hall, was approving and responsive, and apparently appreciated the extensive work and fine product Danceworks offered.

The second half of the show is introduced in much the same way as the first half: with an example of Fischer's innovative choreography. "Carnival of the Animals, Part II," serves as a perfect transition between the intermission and the intense dances which follow.

If the audience was responsive to the other numbers, they went wild at "Gett Off," a dance choreographed by Tya Harris, TC '00, to the beyond-risqué song by the Artist Formerly Known as Prince. The four dancers, clothed in form-fitting pants and tight, midriff-revealing shirts strut their stuff to Prince's pulsating beat and overtly sexual lyrics. In a rather shocking moment--judging from the amount of whistles and catcalls pouring from the audience--the girls...well, never mind--I don't want to give anything away. All I can say is that I would not recommend watching this number if rapid heartbeat is a problem for you.

Once the audience had settled down from "Gett Off" (if, indeed, they ever did), they were treated to "Silent All These Years," a tender dance set to the song of the same name by the evocative and ethereal Tori Amos. With its sensitive chords and words to match, "Silent" is the perfect background to Roderick Mobley's, DC '99, choreography--and the use of ribbons is impressively fluid and oddly fitting.

Apparently Danceworks likes to throw a colorful ethnic number into each act, as a sort of respite from the requisite "ordinary" dances. "Pili Mau Me 'Oe," a Hawaiian dance, is a delight to the senses, with exotic music and bright, splashy costumes. And for anyone who ever tried to twirl a hula hoop for a sustained period of time, only to discover the near impossibility of the task, the dance is all the more impressive.

Despite the presumably exhausting task of an hour-long performance (most dancers appear more than once) the cast manages to present an extremely energetic finale. Choreographed by Carlson and Yani Indrajana, JE '00, it is set to the original cast recording of Chicago. The entire cast of Danceworks comes out for the finale, and portrays not only a love of dance, but a real fondness for each other. The obvious camaraderie of the group is a pleasure to observe, and only adds to their solid performances.

From start to finish, from Mediterranean folk to erotically modern gyrations, to the supreme excitement of the finale, Danceworks's fall show is a performance woth seeing. The energy of the cast is contagious, however, so be warned: come to Berkeley, settle down, and hold on for an enjoyable--and often wild--ride.

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