Dance Review: Attitudes with Attitude, Armitage Gone! Think Punk!

Karole Armitage, New York’s “punk ballerina” is bringing the 80’s back. The 1980’s in NYC was an era of counterculture, punk, club kids, and cheap loft space. It was all about self-expression, freedom and rebellion, a time which I fantasize about myself. In Think Punk!, Armitage brings this wild energy back with the re-staging of three of her pieces from the 80’s, along with a current work.

A black heart shaped box the size of a grand piano, by Jeff Koons, waits onstage for the show to start. Wild Thing (1987), a duet performed to Jimi Hendrix music, begins with sexy long-limbed dancer Kristina Bethel. She gyrates against the box, and out pops her partner, sporting 80’s attire, complete with striped spandex pants and cut up t-shirt. Their pas de deux puts an aggressive, thrashy twist on classical ballet partnering. Armitage’s work is not a rebellion against ballet, but rather a rebellion using ballet as a weapon.

In Drastic-Classicism (1981), this juxtaposition of pristine classical technique against a sloppy punk aesthetic is most jolting. Dancers enter, one at a time, in torn black tights and leotards, straggling in as if they’re late for ballet class but don’t give a sh?t. Her cast of brilliant technical dancers développé their legs up to their ears, and penché past six o’clock. They take clean classical positions, then flick their arms as if to say “f-you” and melt into abstract asymmetry. An ultra-loud rock band saturates the space with noise, and creates a chaotic scene in which the line between dancer and musician is blurred. Guitarists promenade with dancers, and dancers rock out on electric guitars while sitting in the splits.

The Watteau Duets (1985) traces the evolution of a relationship. Megumi Eda and Luke Manley enter in futuristic, anime-style black, with pointe shoes transformed into black leather boots. The couple progresses through a series of duets, delivering gorgeous ballet technique with attitude; they do attitudes with attitude, if you will. They change costumes between each section to represent the passage of time, or maybe it’s an 80’s fashion show. In duet number four, Megumi re-enters in the infamous five-inch stiletto pumps which Armitage originally wore when she performed the piece in 1985.

Following this immersion in 80’s culture, Armitage introduces something current with an excerpt from Mashup (2009). Here the classical/punk contrast is in the music rather than the movement. The sound score mashes Mozart with the London punk band X-Ray Spex. The choreography takes on a contemporary flavor, and with a softened attitude and softened costumes, red shorts and shirts, it lacks the edge of her earlier work. Even so, her amazing cast of dancers is brilliant as they power through this jubilant, high energy marathon.

Armitage originally performed her work in underground, unconventional venues. She notes that Wild Thing premiered at a club called The World, on Avenue B, and that during their performance there, three dead bodies were found in the back room. As I watch this dance today amongst the audience at The Kitchen, I fantasize about seeing its premiere, and what the energy and the audience must have been like in that East Village club in 1987. Then I realize, it’s not NYC, or punk, that’s dead, but the snooty dance audience. This crowd needs some shaking up! And I thank Karole Armitage for doing so. Rock!

Photography by Julieta Caerantes

iDANZ Critix Corner
Official Dance Review by Julie Fotheringham
Performance: Armitage Gone! Think Punk!
Venue: The Kitchen, New York City
Date: March 11, 2009
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