GATHERINGS BY LA DANCE PROJECT
I’ve seen a few of LA Dance Project’s previous offerings at the Wallis, and enjoyed most of them, but this recent program from them was the best! It featured a quartet of pieces, with the middle two being my faves.
LA Dance Project is a very well thought-of contemporary dance company, run by Benjamin Millepied, who choreographed the Oscar-nominated film, Black Swan. (Benjamin, of course, has a plethora of other credits, but even those unfamiliar with the dance world know that one popular reference.)
The title of this overall presentation was Gatherings, which is precisely what we did that evening, in several areas of the beautiful Beverly Hills venue.
The first number, Anthem. Photo by Skye Schmidt Varga, as is the one of Sleepwalker’s Encyclopedia above.
On my recommendation of the troupe, Mr. X joined me, and deemed it to be “a top quality show,” adding that there was “unending creativity of dance moves, all performed at a high skill level.” (Yes, I do know that he should really be the writer in our little fam.)
I totally agree with him about all of it. Every one of the dancers are exceptional; I was especially taken with Lorrin Brubaker in Triade, the first number on the stage. And, to my major astonishment, after seeing tons of dance shows practically since I was born, (and being a young dancer, as well, back in the day,) I discovered very many unusual steps that I had never seen before in my entire life! I loved that aspect of the production.
However, I need my dances explained to me, which means that without any clues in the digital program, I had no idea of what any of the action was throughout the show. So I’m going to describe what I think was happening.
The first number, Anthem, was actually sort-of a surprise. You had to know to show up forty-five minutes earlier than the announced starting time, (or just be lucky enough to be passing by the Wallis on foot, so you could join the ticketed spectators outside.) It began on one end of the Wallis’ upstairs lobby, and then, pretty quickly, we followed the dancers, (including students from the Trudl Zipper Dance Institute at the Colburn School, an opportunity I always applaud,) out the main entrance to various parts of the theatre’s grounds. The whole thing was definitely different; it reminded me of how my friends and I used to play on our stoops and sidewalks in the summers of my youth. And the dancers’ monochromatic sweatsuits, (which I actually liked,) looked like what I had rolled out of bed wearing that morning. (But theirs looked a million times better, of course.) The rest of the assemblage seemed to enjoy this routine more than Mr. X and I did. As a matter of fact, I spied a beautiful senior couple whose faces were downright glowing watching it. But the simplicity of what we saw out there in the courtyard definitely did not portend the wonderfulness that we would be witnessing on the stage shortly.
Jeremy Coachman and Lorrin Brubaker. Photo by Skye Schmidt Varga.
Mr. X was especially impressed with Benjamin Millepied’s stunning Triade, which featured two couples, and was the second number of the evening and the first on the stage. When it was over, my krump-dancing bae exclaimed, “How many steps did they have to remember??? They were constantly moving! It was so involved.” I adored it, as well, but I had to shut my literate mind down because the title means “three,” even though there were four dancers! Very gifted ones, but still a quartet, not a trio.
Courtney Conovan. Photo by Skye Schmidt Varga.
But ah, maybe, since the next one was titled Quartet for Five, they were doing a thing with wrong number words. (“Quartet” is “four,” not “five.”) I have to ask my French friends if changing the meanings of numbers is a thing in their country, from which Millepied hails. But, no matter the wording, the choreography and performances of both pieces were magnificent.
As to that latter incredible work, I didn’t know what Quartet for Five was supposed to be about, but by its mysterious setting, I narrowed it down at first to a funeral or an Amish wedding that the main girl was trying to get out of it. (But what were the chairs about?) And then, towards the end of it, I thought that perhaps they were in an asylum because a few times all the dancers did that “I curl my hair”* movement, which indicates that someone is crazy. *[Note: In case you don’t know what I mean by that, I’ll explain it at the very end of this review.] Everyone in it was perfection, but I couldn’t get over what the lead, Courtney Conovan, was able to do with her arms and shoulders; it was reminiscent of one of those “bone-crusher” contortionists. That was pretty awesome to see in person. (And she has the best straight hair!)
(L-R) Nicholas Sakai, Jeremy Coachman, and Daphne Fernberger. Photo by Skye Schmidt Varga.
The final piece, Sleepwalker’s Encyclopedia, was like a crazy, hyped-up dance class. And since I believe there were several students from Anthem in this one, too, maybe that is what they do on a daily basis. And if so, I’m definitely impressed. I could never make it in a class like that.
The entire evening, even with the early start and then two full intermissions, went by in a flash. It was all pretty magnificent.
The theme for the Wallis’ next season will be “Without Limits,” during which LA Dance Project will make another appearance. They’ll be back in October with an evening-long work entitled Gems Trilogy, choreographed by their aforementioned Artistic Director, Benjamin Millepied. I look forward to all of it, at my favorite theatre, of course!
The Gatherings curtain call. The guy in the middle with the flowers is Jeremy Coachman, and this was his very last performance with L.A. Dance Project. (LA’s loss will be Montreal’s gain.) Next to him in street clothes is my fave, Lorrin Brubaker. Photo by Karen Salkin.
Robert van Leer, Executive Director and CEO of the Wallis, always welcomes us at the beginning of each presentation, and asks who is there for the first time. My hip seat-mate, (and new bestie, which will be news to her,) and I were shocked by how many first-timers were in the audience. At least all those people now know how fabulous the Wallis is, and hopefully I’ll see them, (and you,) back there on many occasions next season.
For info on all of the Wallis’ upcoming shows, please check-out their site right here: www.thewallis.org
*Okay, here’s that explanation of “I curl my hair.” In case you’re not familiar with it, which might be known to only my fellow Brooklyn peeps, this is how it’s done: When you want to indicate that someone is crazy without making the insult clear, you say to your pals, “I curl my hair,” while twirling a finger in a circle in your hair, and then add, “and I brush my teeth,” to point to the crazy person by way of the front of your lips. So stupid, right? My friends and I shortened it to just say, “I curl…,” without making the “crazy” sign with our hands, while just looking towards someone. Classy of us, I know.]
