Dance Review: Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company, I AM INSPIRED

I walk into City Center excited primarily because of the beautiful photography advertising Christopher Wheeldon's Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company. I am anxiously looking forward to experience the beauty of what this dance company has to offer.

The show opens up with Christopher Wheeldon's Commedia, a piece where the dancers are wearing white unitards, designed by Isabel and Ruben Toledo, with printed patterns of black much like a mixed up checkerboard. They also wear what looks like colorful “doo-rags” that cover their eyes like a mask. The choreography is fun and light and great to watch as the eight dancers move to music by Igor Stravinsky. Their technique is impeccable and they are sooooo “in” it. (This is what I love about classical ballet that I think many current day dancers need to remember in performance). The piece is so musical that the dancers have to become their characters in order to successfully pull this piece off. It isn’t enough to just perform the art; they must BE the art. And, in this case, the dancers do just that. Moreover, to our delight, Wheeldon’s choreography, though starting from a great classical sketch, seamlessly adds contemporary elements of floor work, body undulations, and flexed feet creating a yummy funky mix.

Next on the program is Leaving Songs, a piece about the mystery of death and passing on to another side. This piece, choreographed by Tim Harbour, is performed so beautifully, so delicate; it's gorgeous to watch as the dancers dance with clear balls that look like huge bubbles. My favorite part about this piece is the intricate cannon effect used where all the dancers commit to steps one beat away from each other, traveling around the stage to finally unfold into a striking image.

Up next is my favorite piece of the night, Softly As I Leave You, choreographed by Lightfoot Leon, which has me “google-ing” the hell out of the two dancers, Drew Jacoby, and Rubinold Pronk. Fire, Fire, Fire!! That is all I have to say. I watch and I am nothing but compelled to scream out “BEAUTIFUL!!!" when it is finished. Drew opens the piece dancing inside a coffin-like box propped-up on one side so that the audience can see her dancing within it. The movement is intricate and quirky and EXTREMELY full of passion. She is so committed to each step that I think the box is going to fall over! Rubinold emerges next (and I have to mention the fact that he is lying there in darkness the whole time, but I am so intrigued by Drew that I don’t even notice). Now….Rubinold is a powerhouse. Let me say it again…POWERHOUSE! I mean, just graceful, masculine, technical, everything. The two together are just wonderful. They express such passion, I feel exactly what the title suggests... the pain of leaving.

The show is summed up with a piece choreographed by Alexis Ratmansky and performed to one of my favorite pieces of music, “Bolero” by Maurice Ravel. For Bolero, the work consists of an eclectic mix of jazz-like and contemporary movement which occasionally just explodes as if to come from pure emotion without thought to satisfy technique. I adore how the choreography hits every single nuance of the music. The dancers have numbers on their costumes and almost always take turns doing solos and duets in numerical order; but don’t get me wrong, there is nothing predictable about this piece. I will say though, that at times of unison, the dancers are not always moving completely together; however because they are so fierce... who cares? Clearly, they are "moved" and clearly, it seems as if the dancers love the music as much as I do. Live, ya'll. Bravo!

Overall, Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company is definitely now one of my favorite dance companies. As for this "must-see" show, Christopher Wheeldon has put together a wonderful concert with a magnificent company of gorgeous dancers to watch. I am inspired.

IDANZ Critix Corner
Official Dance Review by JoiLynn
Performance: Morphoses/ The Wheeldon Company
Choreography: Christopher Wheeldon, Lightfoot Leon, Alexis Ratmansky, Tim Harbour
Venue: City Center, New York City
Show Date: October 31, 2009 at 8pm
www.iDANZ.com