One of the joys of living in one place for a while is being able to see artists test new waters and grow.
The Prairie Wind Dancers' "New Works Concert 2001" Friday night at the Lawrence Arts Center was a fine example of a group of choreographers who are continuing to investigate their creativity.
The concert, made up of 11 works choreographed by members of the professional dance company or other dance instructors at the arts center, offered a diverse palette of works some with music, others without; some with classical leanings; others wholly modern.
"Haunting," a work by Deborah Bettinger, combined modern dance and Asian theater in an evocative narrative about alcoholism and its tragic consequences. Lori Madl and J. Damian Houston dressed in white, with white face makeup portrayed the troubled couple, while Kimber Andrews wearing a black costume and white face makeup remained in the shadows, as if she were a puppeteer perhaps the alcohol pulling the strings of the two other dancers. Houston's facial expressions and body movement demonstrated his mastery of Japanese theater techniques.
"Hylas and the Nymphs of the Spring," by Lori Madl, was a whimsical, crowd-pleasing romp based on an English madrigal by Thomas Morley. Using classical dance movements perfectly set to the music, the choreography told the story of a man (Houston) who is bothered and bewitched by two mischievous and deadly fairy nymphs (Naomi Carson and Mary Shahrokhi).
For "Fair Day Cloud," Candi Baker used a billowy cloud costume worn by Jennifer Wilson as if it were the dancer's partner. The movement of the fabric was in harmony with Wilson as she lightly swirled and danced in patterns across the floor.
"Divergence," by Andrews, used running patterns to create a modern dance that was almost lyrical for the company's six members. In "Groundswell," she recreated the feel of ocean waves both tension and release for the Prairie Wind Apprentice Dancers. Both works were well-designed and showed Andrews' significant growth in the area of choreography during the past couple of years.
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