Well, what’s there not to say about Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet?  A diverse repertory company of exquisite technical beasts would be dream and playground for any guest choreographer; or, so it seems, based on the three works on the bill (Sunday Again, Unit in Reaction, and Hubbub) for one of their evenings at the Joyce Theater.

The evening opens with Jo Stromgen’s Sunday Again, a lighthearted, whimsical portrayal of a collection of lovers all dealing with the usual feuds and qualms of being in a relationship paralleled to back and forth quality experienced in a tennis match.  Literally.  Props used include a tennis net, raquet, and plastic shuttlecocks that randomly appear from underneath clothing.  All this in place is a quaint and neat set-up for a perfectly boring piece.  However, Stromgen infuses stark humor via unexpected male/female moments of roughness, lesbian eroticism, and other social behaviors such as spitting and gossiping amongst themselves.  Overall, these nuances work well together in Strongen’s choreography to keep the audience in tune and alert to fleeting moments of wit.

The dancers shift into a much darker and somber mode in the next piece, Unit in Reaction, choreographed by Jacopo Godani.  In this adrenaline-driven suspenseful piece, the dancers seem to operate as if they are all apart of a machine, or better yet a group of lab rats under experimentation and our surveillance.  The dancers create luscious lines and move intricately between each other in breathtaking duet and solo work. Godani’s work digs beneath the surface and accentuates all that is juicy in this company and just uses technique as icing on the cake.

The evening closes with my favorite work, Alexander Ekman’s Hubbub.  Now although the concept of the piece has been done before (there is no such thing as a new idea) Ekman took it to a new level!  This is one of those pieces where no amount of words can do it justice.  You just have to see it for yourself.  But here are a few personal highlights:  the suspended typewriter, rhythmic breathing phrase, accumulation, and a perfectly cute duet performed by Nikemil Concepcion and Harumi Terayama in which we hear a recording of the dancers personal thoughts as they execute each step.  Hubbub is one of those pieces that is difficult to walk away not just liking, but also, finding yourself talking about for the next few days!

You’re probably wondering how I can critique Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet and not highlight any dancers.  Simple.  They are all ridiculously good looking and beautiful artists.  So here we go: Jubal Battisti, Jon Bond, Nickemil Concepcion, Gwynenn Taylor Jones, Jason Kittelberger, Ana Maria Lucaciu, Navarra Novy-Williams, Oscar Ramos, Matthew Rich, Acacia Schachite, Harumi Terayama, Vania Doutel Vaz, Manuel Vignoulle, Ebony Williams, and Golan Yosef…  You Rock Fierce!

iDANZ Critix Corner
Official Dance Review by Simone Sobers
Performance:  Cedar Lake Contemporary Dance Company
Choreography:  Jo Stromgen, Jacopo Godani, Alexander Ekman
Venue:  The Joyce Theater, New York City 
Show Date:  Tuesday, October 26, 2010
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Sunday, Again, which premiered in Oslo in 2008, explores the combative nature of relationships using the slightly random metaphor of badminton. (Who among us doesn’t relate to badminton?) However, quite a few of us can relate to dysfunctional relationships and the emotional life of each couple is earnestly expressed with fluent, graceful lines and breathtaking partnering.  The opening duet between Jason Kittelberger and Acacia Schachte is particularly elegant.  Likewise, Harumi Terayama’s playful interlude with partner Jubal Battisti showcases her lightning feet and youthful vitality.  But while themes of loneliness and ostracism weave in and out, the piece never really comes together.  For all the exacting technique and effortless duets, one is left thinking, "But why should I care?"

The world of the second piece, Hofesh Shechter’s The Fools, contrasts sharply with Stromgen’s world of badminton and refined aggression.  Shechter’s darkly lit set creates a menacing atmosphere, and the opening sequence immediately catches your interest, with eight dancers, or Shadows, clothed in what appear to be black straitjackets, dancing wildly to a series of drumbeats.  Then the Fools enter:  seven characters in their underwear, hunched over, stepping deliberately in riveting slow motion.  By part two, the Fools are fully dressed in clone-like office wear, and the choreography becomes more stilted and mechanical to reflect their inner life.  Schechter’s choreography retains a sense of the unexpected, with breakouts by the Shadows interwoven with the Fool’s choreography, which, as the piece progresses, becomes more desperate and absurd.  Soloist Manuel Vignoulle steals the show with his gut-wrenching, athletic solo.

In the third and final piece, Didy Veldman’s frame of view, nine lithe, sinewy dancers glide between a series of three rather flimsy doors, designed by Miriam Buether. The doorways are meant both literally and figuratively as passageways to happiness and tragedy.  Though enjoyable overall, the ballet leans towards the latter half of the term "artsy-fartsy," due mostly to Veldman’s tendency to incorporate spoken word into the soundtrack, which in this case was distracting and annoying.  Still, several vignettes resonated deeply: the lonely, sexy ballerina dancing a duet with a faceless figure through a rubber-paneled door, a slow-motion fight where Terayama’s features and technique are used to maximum comic effect, and two lonely souls sharing a turtleneck in a lovely, pitiful duet.   frame of view had the most personality of the evening and offered the most humor, insight and catharsis.

Does Cedar Lake live up to the hype?  Not with this program, no.  But they certainly proved to be a risk-taking company full of beautiful, powerful dancers.  I am curious to see what their next steps will be.

 iDANZ Critix Corner
Official Dance Review by Molly Sorohan
Performance:  Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet
Venue:  The Joyce Theater, New York City
Show Date:  November 2, 2010
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“This is the greatest show,” boasts a balletomane sitting next to me as I flip through my program waiting for America Dances! , Career Transition for Dancers’ 24^th anniversary jubilee and celebration to begin; and, with a presenting sponsor as Rolex and a roster filled with the world’s most legendary dancers, I couldn’t imagine anything less.

What does follow however, are New York City Ballet’s stunning Ashley Bouder (affectionately referred to by us young ballet-fanatics as “The Bouder”) and Andrew Veyette in the aforementioned Balanchine piece.  The pas de deux is a perfect way to salute to our dance heritage by mixing the classic choreography with the dynamic bodies and strength of a new generation of dancers whose leaps, jumps and arabesques seem to reach beyond the dance soldiers that preceded them.

Another stand-out performance (among the myriad presented) is from Lori Belilove & The Isadora Duncan Dance Company in The Dance of the Furies.  With strength and execution reminiscent (I imagine) of Isadora’s rich lyricism and tension, the movements depicts Rodin’s Gates of Hell, washed in flowing red fabric and abstraction.

The Lombard Twins provide their usual twist of multiplicity and talent with The Dance Concert.  Both Martin and Facundo are masters in the art of dancing from the inside out.  They clearly and passionately feel their movement, but making an audience sense the very same is something many young dancers lack.  Not here, though… Coined “free expression,” the twins, have the power to translate evocative movement into something that we all can enjoy.

Preceding the death-defying partnering of veteran Mark Stuart Eckstein and his beautiful partner, Miss Adealani Malia, are two young, talented dancers, barely four and a half feet tall, that delightfully surprise us all with a well-choreographed and highly entertaining salsa number.  Performing with such accuracy, such showmanship, such energy, such skill, these little future stars, Alexandra Gutkovitch and John Gaylan, are on point and are an absolute charm to watch!

Not much could top Mr. D’Amboise’s impromptu petite allegro, but Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet comes close with Jason Kittelberger’s and Acacia Schachte’s performance of Cold Song.  The entire theater is hushed as they sweep the floor with poetic movement, permeating an icy chill that leaves us frozen in wonder.

Other performances included the Parkour group Bullettrun, the choreography of Ann Marie DeAngelo, SYTYCD choreographer/Sonya Tayeh Dance, the company of M. Stuart Dance Theatre, Tony Waag’s Tap City Youth Ensemble, The Street Beats Group,  excerpts from Bob Fosse’s Dancin’, and a Tribute to Duke Ellington (featuring Mercedes Ellington).

Sprinkled throughout the show are accolades.  Receiving the Career Transition for Dancers’ Award for Outstanding Contributions to the World of Dance are two very important philanthropist to the dance world, Lawrence Herbert (presented by Jock Soto) and  Lloyd E. Rigler of the Lawrence E. Deustsch Foundation (presented by Valerie Harper).  Presented by Desmond Richardson, The Rolex Dance Award is given in honor of our beloved Patrick Swayze.  His wife, Lisa Niemi Swayze, genially accepts the award with heartfelt grace in an audience full of friends and family.

And that seems par the course in the dance world…  making sure that Career Transition for Dancers not only celebrates our sparkling heritage, but our uplifting future that evening… It seems that the dance community will always find a way to inspire hope even in the most desperate of times, whether it’s with generous donations, audience cheers, scholarships, or simply with the art itself…  And that, surely, is the greatest thing of all.

iDANZ Critix Corner
Official Dance Review by Joey Lico

Check out more of Joey Lico’s writings on www.prodiligo.com.

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As the Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet performs Orbo Novo, meaning “New World”, that is exactly what they discovered this weekend!  No longer a stranger to any theatre but their own, Cedar Lake explodes upon new territory, infiltrating The Joyce Theater like the European explorers for which their work is named!

Orbo Novo is an absolutely stunning, fascinating piece of artistry in every way.  If Cedar Lake really does journey to a new world, the choreography, sets, dancers, and sound are the elements they need for their journey.  Not one element goes underused, and the journey to the New World could not have been made without every tiny, immortal detail.

The Set– (THE SHIP)

Walking into The Joyce Theater, the set is masterfully laid out in front of you before anything even begins.  A towering 12-foot high wall of movable, interconnecting grids, created by Alexander Dodge, creates the animalistic, harsh realities we all face as social, emotional, and physical beings.  The connecting grids force the dancers to question the ideas of individuality and the ways we connect with the world around us.  At times it resembles a giant cage, trapping the dancers inside like birds.  At other times it is a defense mechanism, and even further a means of play for fun discoveries.  One thing is true, these dancers are NOT afraid of heights!  At any moment, a dancer could’ve tumbled to the floor…but noooo, not Cedar Lake.  They are fearless, calculated perfection.

The Choreographer– (THE CAPTAIN)

Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, the Belgian choreographer who has taken home many awards internationally, leads the troupe fearlessly into uncharted terrain.  He has these dancers all over the place like wild monkeys, (birds, dinosaurs, squirrels, clouds, Olympic gymnasts, autumn leaves caught in a tornado)…  You name it -the imagery is there.  The movement is so seamless and fluid that it is impossible to discern where one movement stops and another begins.  Are the dancers in charge of the movement, or is the movement in charge of the dancers?  Some stunts are just completely inhuman….( a male duo where they convulse intensely in seizure-like tremors)!  Some stunts leave me unsure whether to commend the choreographer’s imagination or the dancers’ outrageous skills!

The Sound– (THE SEA)

The musical score, created by composer Szymon Broska, oozes out from the back of the stage as we dimly see the strings and piano.  The music often is beautifully liquid and builds from one instrument to the entire sound system, capturing the dancers’ turbulent energy and taking them where they need to go.  The score is literally like an ocean current, hurling the dancers from scene to scene.  For a portion of the show, the dancers make their own music as they recite entire monologues from the book ”My Stroke of Insight:  A Brain Scientist’s Personal Journey.”  The dancers SPEAK the words in PERFECTLY rehearsed unison, yet insanely natural sounding, as if they are saying this all for the first time… making the dance more of a sign language session than a dance.  At points, everyone is lip-syncing, except one dancer who is actually speaking.  We, the audience, can’t tell who is actually doing the speaking!  It is truly awesome to watch.  The speech deals with how our brains have two sides and how our relationship between the two hemispheres make us who we are.

The Dancers– (THE CREW)

The 16 dancers come from all over the globe and many of them boast professional ballet credits and are now living here in our city.  Lucky for Cedar Lake!  The mix of ethnicities is absolutely breathtaking and every dancer is such an individual, sharing one common thread – being the most ABLE, pliable, flexible, strong, relatable contemporary dancers out there!  They portray the determination and intelligence (Imagine memorizing a 15 minute monologue AND dancing!) needed to make Orbo Novo completely surreal.

Finally, after what seems to be a too-short show, Cedar Lake flawlessly steers itself and the world of contemporary dance to new fascinating heights, quite literally.  I can’t wait to see what artistic director Benoit-Swan Pouffer comes up with next for this fearless company.

iDANZ Critix Corner
Official Dance Review by Sheena DiMatteo
Performance:  Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet
Venue: The Joyce Theater, New York City
Choreographer: Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui
Date: October 23, 2009
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Benoit-Swan Pouffer, Artistic Director of Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, announced the New York premiere of “Orbo Novo” (“The New World”), a full-length dance work by Belgian choreographer and theater artist Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui. In a first for the troupe, Cedar Lake will take a leave from its 170-seat Chelsea home theater and offer the work’s New York premiere at The Joyce Theater Tuesday October 20, 2009. Linda Shelton, Executive Director of The Joyce Theater, remarks, “We are thrilled to co-present this work with Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet.  Performed by such fabulously talented dancers, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui’s piece is certain to be a rare treat for New York audiences to discover.” “Orbo Novo” had its World Premiere earlier this year at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival July 8, 2009.

Hailed in anticipation by The New York Times as a “coup,” “compelling prospect,” and “one of the most exciting events of the new season,” “Orbo Novo” is the first work created by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui for an American dance company. With his invitation to Cherkaoui, Pouffer continues to introduce Cedar Lake audiences to the work of vanguard choreographers working internationally. Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui was voted "Choreographer of the Year" for 2008 by Europe’s leading dance magazine, Ballet-Tanz.

Founded in 2003, Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet has swiftly established itself at the forefront of contemporary American dance companies. At their home in Manhattan’s West Chelsea Gallery District, Cedar Lake provides choreographers a comprehensive environment for the creation and curating of dance for presentation to a worldwide audience. The Cedar Lake repertoire currently includes works by Ohad Naharan, Jill Johnson, Stijn Celis, Nicolo Fonte, Crystal Pite, Jacopo Godani, Jo Strømgren, Angelin Preljocaj, Luca Veggetti, Didy Veldman and Artistic Director, Benoit-Swan Pouffer.

Schedule and Ticket Information:

‘Orbo Novo’ at The Joyce Theater, October 20 – 25 

‘Orbo Novo’ will be presented at The Joyce Theater, Tuesday October 20 – Sunday October 25. Tue-Wed 7:30pm; Thu-Fri 8pm; Sat 2pm & 8pm; Sun 2pm & 7:30pm.

For single tickets call JoyceCharge (212-242-0800); visit the Box Office (Monday-Friday, 12:00-6:00pm); or charge online at www.Joyce.org. For more information on becoming a Joyce Member, or for season ticket purchases visit www.Joyce.org or call JoyceCharge at 212-242-0800. The Joyce Theater is located at 175 Eighth Avenue at 19th Street.

A free post-performance “Dance Chat” dialogue will follow the Wednesday performance.

Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet’s “Dance Talks” at Joyce SoHo 
Monday, October 12, 6:00 – 8:00

Join writer and dance historian Linda Szmyd Monich in discussing the creative process and challenges faced by the dancers in creating “Orbo Novo”.  Alexandra Damiani, Cedar Lake’s Assistant to the Artistic Director and Ballet Mistress, along with two Cedar Lake dancers, will participate in this video-illustrated talk. They discuss both movement and text elements in the new work and how the work evolved over the eight-week rehearsal period. “Dance Talks” are free and take place at Joyce SoHo (155 Mercer Street, between Houston and Prince). Reservations are required: 646-792-8377.

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