'Viraa' reviews 'Passion of the Blood' reviews 'Mother Popcorn' reviews Griffin in reviews Gomes in reviews recent Dance Theatre of Harlem reviews

Passion of the Blood Music: Jesus Villa-Rojo, Cello Concierto No. 2 Francesco Tarraga, Capricio Arabe Isaac Albeniz, Sevillanas from Suite Espanola, Op. 47
Choreography:Augustus van Heerden
Costumes: Pamela Allen-Cummings
Lighting: Roma Flowers

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Music: James Brown; Alfred Ellis; Aretha Franklin; Carolyn Franklin
Choreography: Robert Garland
Costumes: Pamela Allen-Cummings
Lighting: Roma Flowers

It's been a while since I have seen DTH, now formally called Arthur Mitchell's Dance Theatre of Harlem. If nothing else for me, it explained the aesthetic rationale influencing the administrative and artistic choices of Karen Brown now entering the third year of her initial contract with Oakland Ballet. Brown danced with DTH for 22 years, and has the DTH aesthetic rubbed off!!!

This aesthetic comprises, in varying forms, the following: A classical work with some nod to Mr. Balanchine or one of Mr. Balanchine's work; a dramatic work, whether it's a period pierce like the Bayou Giselle or Agnes de Mille's Fall River Legend, which displays the histrionic capacities of the dancers. Finally, there is some form of pop work, where the company lets down its classical coiffure, gets out of the tutus, and wiggles, jives and shakes with high energy, spirits and equal audience response. The key here, the raison d'etre for such success usually has been the choreographic caliber in each category, or in one or two of the three. I did not see much evidence of excellence in any three of the ballets I witnessed on the company's Program A at Zellerbach. What remains laudable is the level of terrific dancing, spirit and company coherence.

Laveen Naidu's Viraa takes its name from one of the Navarasa or Nine Sentiments in Sanscrit, Vira or the Heroic. Naidu is an Indian name and presumably both music and sentiment governed the choice. It provided a chance to see Ikolo Griffin with a lead role and to display the relish he brings to classical assignments, his finished deportment with easy ballon distinguishing his dancing. It's a pity Helgi Tomasson did not give Griffin soloist status which Arthur Mitchell has.

Classical work shows DTH has discipline, well shaped legs, good feet and adequate port de bras. The men have a tendency to sway back and thrust rib cages, and some of the women have tense shoulders. The music made me wonder what the choreographer might devise, but the patterning didn't leave me with the impression this was a choreographic talent to watch.

Augustus Van Heerden, a DTH ballet master since 1989, is native to South Africa, who spent 13 years as a company dancer after dancing with the Boston Ballet and partnering Dame Margot Fonteyn for A Scottish Ballet appearance. He also has staged Glen Tetley's Voluntaries for ballet companies. His essay Passion of the Blood derives its source from Frederico Garcia Lorca's Blood Wedding. It is a mystery to me how the theme which cuts to the jugular turns out to be a paper cut in its impact, save for the final dual between The Groom and Leonardo.

Except for a shawl for the mother and ruffles, a jacket for The Father, A vest for the Bridgroom and a waistband for Leonardo, there was little costume evidence of the Spanish source for this fatal conflict. Some evidences of duende were exhibited in Ahmed Farouk and Ramon Thielen, both seem to immigrated to the U.S. But the general attack of the other principals exhibited virtually nothing of stark inevitability which the drama exudes, and the gestural language was stilted and almost pitiful. Van Heerden might have been better served if he had transformed the dramatic rationale into some Harlem conflict. What he intended was almost anyone's guess; whatever it was neither Lorca or Spanish.

Robert Garland's Mother Popcorn brought forth energy and enthusiasm on both sides of the proscenium arch, with miminal plastic devices for the women's costumes, cleverly held together by some form of flesh colored net. The pop songs elicited shimmies, shakes and belly dance undulations by the women, all undertaken with enormous insouciance. In this the "Baby, Baby, Baby" number Duncan Cooper partnered Benthania Gomes, making the most of her line. (She shares the 6 o'clock split with Mlle Guillem). Cooper, a principal dancer with DTH since 1995, came from San Francisco Ballet and had been the recipient of the Lew Christensen Award. I was quite impressed with his classicism in the midst of the high energy before I realized who he was, another talent who went elsewhere for recognition.

Acrobatics mingled with grand jets and jazz styled a la secondes, with the wonderful torso inflections and rhythmic pulses and isolations which make African American popular dancing frequently breath taking. Where and how the classical ballet tradition can be served with such choreography remains to be seen. Dance Theatre of Harlem needs a decent choreographer or two.