The first Movement Research showing of the new year was packed; there was a line around the block despite the freezing weather. I chatted with a young Austin dancer living in town for ADF’s winter intensive, and she explained that many in the audience were students in her workshop. They were so excited to come to Judson Church for a taste of New York dance– which warmed my heart if not my toes.
It was a good night for a full house, since the showings were particularly strong. Artist-in-Residence Jillian Pena put 4 women in pastel 80′s dancewear, set them up behind a backlit glass set (a two-way mirror, it would seem), and ultimately paired them with members of the audience– including Circus Amok’s Jennifer Miller. With headphones providing prompts, volunteers performed on the fly with the rehearsed dancers, which was a fun way to start the evening and welcome the audience.
Molly Lieber and Eleanor Smith later performed with the same intriguing counterpoint I saw in their work at The Tank, working again with live musicians Aaron Harris and Yos Munro. I am really loving this team.
Tadashi Kato has an interesting movement quality, though I was not drawn in by his airy choreography or soundscape of buzzwords like “intolerance” and “ecological destruction.”
The surprise treat of the evening came with the closing duet by Jennifer Monson and Yvonne Meier, announced just last week. They’ve been dancing together since before I was born, and they are undeniably master artists. Monday they were particularly silly, and their goofy movement intelligence drew plenty of cheers when they finished.
