Air Dance glides into Towson

Take a moment to imagine the expression and grace of modern dance. Combine with this the athleticism and precision of gymnastics. Add to this the thrill of big top circus performance and aerial acrobatics. This fusion of diverse performing arts may bring you close to envisioning the manifestation that is aerial dance: a relatively new dance form performed with various apparatus suspended from above the stage. Baltimore's only aerial dance company, Air Dance Bernasconi, dazzled audiences with their show, "Flight Patterns," Oct. 18 to 20 at Towson.

Jayne Bernasconi, Air Dance Bernasconi's choreographer and artistic director, is one of the six skilled performers in the troupe. Susan Mann, Associate Professor of Dance at Towson University, Andrea Chastant, Therese Keegan, Michael Rooks and Sharon Witting join Bernasconi in performance.

The show provided a showcase of the many apparatus on which the dancers are trained to perform. Bernasconi premiered her piece, "Expanding Circumstances," in which the performers are attached by harness to bungee. The artists seemed to fly effortlessly above the stage in quick motions and large graceful swoops.

Bernasconi also choreographed and performed a solo, "Stream," in which she interacts with a piece of fabric suspended 30 feet over the stage and draped to the floor. Bernasconi demonstrated her notable athletic ability by climbing from the stage to intertwine with the cloth 10 to 15 feet in the air. Bernasconi then proceeded to dance while suspending herself to prevent falling. Through precise movements, she formed knots and loops with the cloth to support her body in various positions while simultaneously performing graceful and expressive movements to the music, presenting the audience with a false sense of ease in the performance.

Among other pieces, the show also included "Spacecraft," performed by all six members. In this piece, the performers interacted with large metal hoops that were in a continual trajectory over the stage. The dancers climbed in, around and between the suspended rings while still interacting with the dancers that were on stage during that portion of the piece. They completed amazing feats of contortion and athleticism performing dance "steps" that cannot be described in the terminology of the conventional dance world. Aerial dance in its short existence has developed its own much-needed terminology, such as "catchers hang" and "lion in a tree," to describe the unique maneuvers.

Air Dance Bernasconi will provide anyone with a night of unique and dazzling dance experience. The show has an unusual, exciting quality similar to that of many Cirque de Soleil performances. For information of upcoming performances, classes or the company, visit their Web site at http://www.airdancebernasconi.org.