Stephen Petronio is living his moment the opening night of his New York season at the Joyce Theater.   Located in Chelsea, the posh notoriously gay neighborhood, the Joyce Theater is swarming with just the type.  The bar is busy, with people partaking of the specialty cocktail “Love Me Tender” and cherry flavored popcorn, both in Petronio’s favorite color-pink!   And it is certainly time for celebration; this company has survived the big city for 25 years, growing in its own style and reaching audiences around the globe.

The performance opens with a solo entitled #3.  A bald man appears like a waiter or butler in a suit and shiny paten leather shoes with fourth position arms scooped to one side curving up to the sky.  This is not Max Brenner – this is Stephen Petronio- and this is dance by the bald man.  With his feet cemented center-stage, Stephen Petronio invites us in, beckoning us to witness his observations.  Simultaneously he is sculpting himself, his hands creeping over his own skin, honing his craft before our eyes as we realize this is his style he is presenting to us.  We are learning his language of isolated sharp port de bras and strong, sometimes torqued torso.  A language of the spine, elaborated with the limbs, I must admit Stephen Petronio reminds me of one of those beaded wobble dolls who get jelly legs when you squeeze their platform, but only because his feet never moved from the same spot on the stage.

The next piece entitled MiddleSexGorge opens with two women on stage posed erected from fourth positions, the light contouring their muscles.  Each movement is articulated and controlled, though sometimes the movement is so dramatic- arms and legs whipping in fast circular motions optimizing the ball and socket joints at the hips and shoulders.  The technique of the company is fierce, sharp with high battements, strong cores that demand quickly executed changes in direction, yet somehow is lacking the use of plié:  the legs sometimes appear stiff, the feet flexing above the ground, harsh landings on the floor.  The music asks, “are you hot?  Are you feeling hot?”  The dancers bodies are certainly hot, women moving freely in black short unitards, the men in sexy flesh-colored corsets.  Some of the men are wearing pansy pants (my name for them), fresh for the picking;  I have witnessed promotional photos for the company this year with the dancers wearing these flesh tights sprouting with orangey pink petals.  Other men simply wear their flesh-colored dancebelt- super sexy ass cheeks on display.  I didn’t understand the contrast between the women’s’ costuming and the men’s’ – the women looking as if they came from dance class, the men from a spring fashion runway.  The dancers faces don’t express much, but their bodies scream, “yes, I’m hot!” with abrupt changes in direction, head-bang, battement, windmill motions slicing through space. The women swarm round one of the men as the chorus repeats, “Are you hot?  Are you feeling hot?”   Then as they close in on him “I’m ambitious”  …a nice commentary on a man’s sexual prowess.  The audience loves it.

Note for The Joyce employees:  To better handle the two huge lines at concessions barely moving- if you offer a drink special, mix’em up beforehand, otherwise people are forced to chug their beverages at the last moment, having spent the entire intermission waiting for drinks. Try the pre-pour, sales should improve too, as employees offer beverages ready on trays (no line delays!)

Following intermission is a solo, Love Me Tender, with Julian DeLeon in a silky men’s shirt and…white shorts beneath.  A bit of a tease, his body aches to be loved and touched, very expressive everywhere but the face.  I think this reflects on an artistic preference with the company to focus expression through the body. Two women in short white unitards and draped fabric as sleeves appear; this must’ve been the beginning of “Foreign Import” with music “Creep” by Radiohead.  A disturbed man, performed by Reed Luplau, dances between and around these two angelic figures.  Reed Luplau succeeds in getting the audience’s attention, his movements attack and swarm the stage like a desperate person’s cry for help.

The last dance brings the company together in Ghostown, a world premiere.  I love the costuming for this piece, each dancer having a unique combination of tight spandex in neutral colors with an element of flowing fabric.  As if different groups of people who have come and gone with time, dancers flow and ebb from the side wings.  The choreography gets really interesting with the dancers performing their own unique phrasing, contrasting their movement, and initiating  interaction between each other. The music is pulsating, beautiful but also sleep-inducing, perhaps not the best work to end the evening.  Yet, the audience responds enthusiastically to the final moment of the dance.  In this work Petronio states,

“I am more drawn to information that is implied or concealed within the gesture and stage space, what is imagined and sensed as well as what is perceived. Ghostown…is a gathering place for memory and selves that have come before, resonate in some way, that are still vibrating with layers of meaning, imagined or real.”

Certainly one feels the resounding pulses of energy vibrating within themselves just watching Stephen Petronio’s amazing company.

iDANZ Critix Corner
Official Dance Review by Lea McGowan
Performance: Stephen Petronio Company
Choreography: Stephen Petronio
Venue: The Joyce Theater, New York City
Performance Date: Tuesday April 27, 2010
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The class consists of several company members, experienced dancers and some fresh novice types.  Most wear comfortable clothing: tank tops and yoga pants, sweat pants, t-shirts, socks or barefoot.  Before the class starts, dancers sprawl out on the floor, doing spinal twists or breathing through downward dog.   A few converse with Stephen Petronio, friendly banter with laughter. 

Petronio leads the class through a good center warm-up, no music but the accompaniment of his voice, sounds of piano from a ballet class wafting through the door.  I am surprised by his guided visualizations that lead me through the inner parts of my pelvis.  I am excited to have this opportunity to focus on grounding myself through this awareness of my pelvic floor, something I feel like I am lacking as most of my training comes from ballet.  Stephen Petronio uses some anatomical language I am unfamiliar with, I would have liked to write it down, but then I could have revealed my undercover status.  Though I have been known to take notes in other dance classes, I feel that this group in particular would identify me quickly for many of the dancers seem to have returned from the day before.  Though, there are a few other new faces mix in with me…

Throughout the warm-up, I try along with the rest of the class, to connect between the pubic bone and the tailbone, and grasp the rotational relationship between both hips.  I am in concentration mode, but enjoying myself and the challenges being presented. 

Barrington Hines teaches an across the floor combination, followed by a sweet excerpt of choreography.  It is fun to see Stephen Petronio guiding Barrington, throwing in corrections and suggestions, asking him to refine certain movements.  We got to witness the choreographer test the dancer, as the dancer sought to convey the choreographer’s ideas-  the ultimate challenge!  An excellent combo, I find Petronio’s choreography to be fun and very challenging in itself, with highs and lows, changes in direction.  One certain movement requires us to swivel switch our feet as we travel backwards, wiggling our heads and using the weight of our heads to propel us through the movement trajectory.  Oh, Wow…  I am challenged in this movement, finding my center though off-balance.

The abstract vocabulary reflects some balletic pieces, perhaps because, as Stephen Petronio says, it has been originally set on a ballet company.  Everyone knows the choreography, some I think have worked on it the day before.  We then break off in groups to explore the space and dance the combo more fully.  This is the best part as I enjoy learning from watching the other dancers.  I enjoy myself so much, I want to continue dancing but alas, time is out; class over. 

Whew… I feel that Petronio’s class worked my body really well, though didn’t sweat too much- I rarely do.  My favorite part of the class is definitely doing the combo and working on the choreography.  Talking with some of the company dancers afterwards, I secretly learn that the victim (company dancer teaching choreography while being examined by Stephen Petronio) changes every day, sometimes every other day.  I would definitely love to attend this class again, if only I can get up and out of my house in time to make it there by 10am!

Petronio and Company members continue to present their month-long Master Class Series at Peridance Center, (890 Broadway).   Classes are Monday-Friday, October 12-November 6, 2009 from 10:00-11:30am.  Individual classes are $20, a full week (5 classes) is $90.  To register for classes go to www.peridance.com or call 212-505-0886.  Subsequent classes will be posted on the Company’s website – www.stephenpetronio.com and Facebook page.    Please note that Peridance will soon be moving to their new state-of-the-Art center at 126 East 13 Street (one block south of Union Square).

iDANZ Critix Corner
Official Class Review by Lea McGowan
Instructor/Choreographer:  Stephen Petronio
Studio:  Peridance @ 890 Broadway (Temporary Location)
Class Date:  October 21, 2009
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