The term "modern dance" can be rather enigmatic. Dance, as with most art forms, already tends to reflect modern themes and ideas. The crucial difference remains in modern dancers' rejection of convention and the strict, almost regimental drilling of classical ballet. Instead, they embrace free expression in dance where any type of movement is accepted, if not encouraged. Since 1981, Hopkins has housed a modern dance company under the supervision of artistic director, Marilyn Byers.
The JHU Modern Dance Company brought this appreciation for unrestrained dance to the Homewood campus on Saturday night with their spring concert.
Choreographed by Byers, most of the pieces emphasized cleanliness over individual bravado. This allowed the dancers to shine as a group, rather than judged by their personal prowess. Many dance performances fall into the trap of allowing some dancers to show off, leaving other dancers behind and creating a performance that is less about the feeling behind the work as much as the individual capabilities of a select few dancers.
The performance was very diverse, and while it was stylistically very consistent, the texture of each piece was certainly distinctive. "Popcorn" proved a lively favorite that showed the precise timing and impeccable formation changes to full advantage.
The moods of "Shepherdess" and "Breaking the Silence" were considerably toned down, and offered a more introspective view into dance. However, since the movements were generally more fluid and imprecise, each dancer brought more of their own stylistic tendencies to the work. This, while very beautiful and interesting to observe, slightly impaired the overall unity of the group. There is therefore a duality in modern dance performance that needs to be addressed.
The dance "Over the Top," achieved a perfect balance of these two elements, with a refined approach that included a number of striking tableaus.
The final piece, "Nostalgia," was also very striking, because it was predominantly classically influenced. Many movements stemmed from balletic influence, which can be very comfortable for most dancers and that certainly came across in performance. It is to the credit of the dancers that they were able to connect successfully with a piece that did rely on more classical movements.
What really stood out about the performance was that the textures of the pieces were all cohesive and all dancers seemed to have a clear grasp of what the artistic vision of the choreographer was. Byers's style is highly reminiscent of Alvin Ailey's, renowned choreographer famous for his classical, strong movements that combine elements of jazz and traditional ethnic movement. Ailey incorporated history and childhood memory into each of his pieces, giving his work lives of their own.
The dancers, in an effort to create a sense of unity and simplicity, wore unitards in each piece. These outfits tend to make dancers uncomfortable and self-conscious because they tend to reveal physical "flaws" and imperfections. However, unitards create a sleek line of color, which serves to accent the movements and moreover the intricate shapes created in a modern piece. Some dancers seemed a little self-conscious about it, almost as if their facial expressions were apologizing for their outfits. As time went on they began to relax and their expressions became more reflective of each piece.
The showcase was a phenomenal exhibition of talent, emotion and a real dedication to the performing arts. The audience tangibly felt a connection to the dancers and the moods they were portraying. It is clear that the JHU Modern Dance company broke down traditional movements and went "over the top" and beyond conventional limits.
