HARTEL DANCE GROUP

PRESENTED

GREAT EVENING

OF MODERN DANCE

Taken by the Oklahoma River, this photograph illustrates the backward facing lift of two women

lifting two other women.  Photo by Austin Hartel

By Nancy Condit

Hartel Dance Group played to a full house last night at the Plaza Theater as choreographer Austin Hartel and the company of ten dancers brought a good evening of modern dance to two awe-inspiring points.

In an exquisite beginning to “Group” in “3 Part Suite,” four of the dancers, almost silhouetted against a blue backdrop, reached the emotional depth of composer Lamb’s lyric “If I could fly,” as they slowly sat up and reached forward with arms out-stretched.  In “On the Eighth Day” Hartel’s musicality was particularly notable in the dance’s first section of the exploration of creation stories. Eight dancers rose and stirred slowly from the stage, combining, reaching out, and recombining to ultimately  reach up in a silhouetted rough pyramid of beings to the music of Carl Orff’s “Carmina Burana.”  The choreography and the dancing were so engrossing that after the first recognition of the work it was integrated into the music.

What was wonderful to see during the evening were partners and lifts – partners in “Group” forming squares with one partner on the floor and the other above – a tremendously strong move, and, at the end of “On the Eighth Day,” dancers rising to stand on their partners’ lower backs, and partners in “Group” lifting partners on their shoulders facing backwards.  The rising partners were lowered to form split Ts with their legs and their standing partners’ outstretched arms. In “Group” the first pair of dancers mirroring each other were perfect.

In modern dance, partners can be men lifting women, women lifting women, women lifting men, or, if there had been another man last night, men lifting men.  Some of these lifts are still extremely impressive.

The lovely “Solo,” under “3 Part Suite,” was beautifully danced by a light dappled Samantha Kropp, with running flowing lyricism and leaping splits. Nicolette Battle’s “Solo” was strong, with gymnastic moves incorporated into expectant tension even in moments of stillness. The funny “Encounters by Light,” spot lighted legs and feet with flashlights, as dancers on chairs with castors met, were rejected, run after, chased each other, and got together, with a cigarette spot lit at the end.  The sound of the castors was an integral part of the 50’s feel style silliness.

The excellent lighting was by Brad Criswell.  Appropriately simple costumes, mostly leotards, were by Zonda P’Dumm. Hartel did the effective set for the dance “On the Eighth Day” -- air filled cut out plastic that framed the sides and top of the proscenium, and the backdrop.

The performances were Friday and Saturday night, September 8 and 9.

c Nancy Condit, photo c Austin Hartel