Whim W'him-SENSATION, January 20-21 and 27-28 (Cornish Playhouse, Seattle)

[Helene]

It's always a privilege to see a rehearsal and to be on the receiving end of the dancers' generosity.  Last week I saw a full run-through of Whim W'him's "SENSATION" program, with works by Penny Saunders, Larry Keigwin, and Olivier Wevers. 

 

Saunders and Wevers have used a similar overall structure, a central protagonist's challenges and struggle, and they share overlapping vocabulary, but the music and the pieces are very different.  Saunders has chosen Mozart, Dvorak, and two other composers (if I heard correctly), while Wevers has used music by Brian Lawler (with a bit of Ray Charles mixed in), which is more atmospheric.   It's always interesting to see the choices that outside choreographers make in casting, especially when they, like Saunders, return.  (This is her second work for Whim W'him.)  The central figure in Saunders' work is danced by Justin Reiter, and she has emphasized a strength in him that is wonderful to see in this elegant, graceful dancer.  Reiter's main antagonist is Patrick Kilbane, but Tori Peil's opening movements were so voracious, I thought I had misheard.   Liane Aung, who joined the company last Spring, was intense in a pas de deux, at once strong and elegant.

 

Tori Peil has become Wevers' SuperMuse and is the central dancer in Wevers' new work, and she is  well-matched with Karl Watson, who also joined the company last Spring. This is an emotionally charged work, but quieter than last year's "A Disagreeable Tale of Duplicity."  Peil is especially masterful in it.  

 

The central piece is by Larry Keigwin, who used lines and geometry to full effect in the longer, first part to music by Philip Glass., with a series of breakout solos and later sequential solos.  The subtleties of the regroupings were a joy to watch.  The shorter second part is a jolt, and in a good way.

 

I could say that you should keep your eye on [any dancer in the company], but it is more challenging not to.

 

The program plays at the Cornish Playhouse two weekends, January 20-21 and January 27-28.

 

 

[Helene]

First intermission of the show.  

 

From the last row (L) of the Cornish Playhouse, Saunders' use of the diagonal and pattern work was just beautiful!

 

Of course scenery, lighting, and costumes make the piece very different in the daytime rehearsal studio and the stage, but from the (ad)vantage point if my seat in the theater, I could see so much more if the structure.

(Cont'd)

 

Saunders has created such a wonderful role for Justin Reiter, making him the center of the work.  Liane Aung and Patrick Kilbane danced a central, long duet, and she looked equally strong in a shorter one in the Keigwin ("Pattern Dance"), extending the possibilities within the company style.  Edited to add:  and Kilbane, too, who has been doing intricate and expert partnering.

 

In rehearsal, the affinities between Saunders and Wevers'  works were clear; within performance, the kinship of pattern-making in Saunders and Keigwin's piece was clear, and there are some relationships, particularly in the trio with Reiter, Kilbane, and Mia Monteabaro in the Keigwin that are playful, while similar interactions in Wevers' "Catch & Release" are ominous.

 

(Cont'd)

What I most appreciate about "Catch & Release" is the way that Weber's conveys how much baggage goes into relationships and how ambiguous they can be.  That and the at once maudlin and delightful "You Can't Stop Loving Me" section, just wicked.

 

If you are lucky, there are some tickets left for tomorrow night's final performance.