Dance Review: Paul Taylor’s Changes, or How Things Never Change

Paul Taylor’s dancers fiercely deliver the New York premiere of Changes with incredible energy and unending commitment this evening at the New York City Center.

The various textures of the sixties are serenaded into existence by The Mamas and The Papas, whose music sets the psychedelic mood for the entire evening. Another mood setter is the talent of the Taylor dancers. The abilities of the Taylor dancers are bountiful, including not only stunning dance technique but also acting chops. Yes, these dancers can act! In fact, the dancers’ dedication to consistently portraying the feel and mood of the sixties throughout the program is the key to this work’s success. Also, the dancers’ bellbottoms, miniskirts, afros, and mustaches lend a colorful texture that confirms the company’s uninhibited “dive” into the world of flower power.

The dance begins with the entire company on stage creating symmetrical circular patterns, a traditional Tayloresque trend. Their movements are reminiscent of sixties social dances, to which the Taylor dancers add a layer of technical execution and physicality. The movement is a mixture of Paul Taylor’s refined style and sixties social dances, which are much more free-flowing than the majority of Paul Taylor’s repertoire. This dynamic creates an interesting and pleasantly surprising performance.

Throughout the performance, the dancers come across as strong-willed and rebellious, as if they are angry at the entire world. Mostly, their movements are fierce and aggressive, but there are moments of vulnerability as well. In Dancing Bear, a closing piece of the evening, there are notable moments of vulnerability featuring James Samson and Francisco Graciano. This section portrays a drug-induced dream in which Mr. Graciano wears feetie pajamas, and Mr. Sansom wears a pair of overalls. Graciano is scared and confused during the dance, often slipping on his feeties. Sansom tries to calm Graciano and at the end, places a bear costume onto a sleeping Graciano.

At first, one might think that Changes is going to be a generalization of the sixties; a time of radical changes, protesting the Vietnam War and sexual experimentation/liberation. Although these ideas are definitely apparent throughout the evening, Paul Taylor addresses today’s issues as well. He draws a connection between the issues of today and the issues that happened almost fifty years ago. Paul Taylor brilliantly puts the similarities between the two periods on display, showing us that things haven’t changed that much.

Photography by Tom Caravaglia

iDANZ Critix Corner
Official Dance Review by Amanda Keller
Editorial Contributions: Adrienne Jean Fisher
Performance: Paul Taylor Dance Company/Changes – a New York Premiere
Choreographer: Paul Taylor
Venue: City Center, New York
Performance Date: March 13, 2009
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