Dance Review: Movement Masters Take on the Jazz Masters, Lar Lubovitch at The Joyce

Step number one, in considering Lar Lubovich’s program at the Joyce Thursday night, is opening this in your browser while you read this review: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0I6xkVRWzCY.

This show is a delightful group of dances presented by the talented Lar Lubovitch Dance Company.  It starts off with “Nature Boy: Kurt Elling” featuring solos by Christopher Vo and three duets.  As the curtain rises, the core company is moving fluidly in a circular motion on the edge of a spotlight center-stage.  Then we hear the lyrics “the story of a boy” effuse and Christopher Vo emerges with a lovely and quirky solo.  Next come the duets, with virtuosic spinning lifts and strong legs extensions.  In the second solo, Katarzyna Skarpetowska seems to embody the music, while Brian McGinnis embodies the musician in an interesting parallel study of the relationship between music and musician, woman and man.  Is the woman just decoration; is she more beautiful than the man; is she just beautiful because the man is creating her? Questions arise and lilt in the air.

All the works are tightly choreographed to the jazz music at its base (in the first piece the music recording was by Kurt Elling).  While the choreography is primarily modern, it brings in elements of ballet and some quirky new movement.  At poignant moments, Lubovitch riffs the movement as the jazz musicians are riffing the music.

The second piece on the program is the world premiere of “Coltrane’s Favorite Things.”  Music is a live recording of John Coltrane’s Quartet and scenery is Jackson Pollock’s “Autumn Rhythm (Number 30).”  It is fun, playful, exuberant dance.  Groups and couples come in and out, and play and dance for themselves and for their partners.  The spirit is infectious in this piece and with audience favorite, “Elemental Brubeck,” the final piece in the program (originally choreographed in 2005).

Lar Lubovitch has established himself as one of the choreographic masters of his time with his lyrical, detailed, and dynamic movement vocabulary.  Jazz music is a perfect partner for his choreography and together they bound, play, and excite.

iDANZ Critix Corner
Official Dance Review by Leah Sands
Performance:  Nature Boy: Kurt Elling; Coltrane’s Favorite Things; Elemental Brubeck
Choreographer:  Lar Lubovitch
Venue: Joyce Theater
Date:  February 23, 2010
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