Hubbard Street Dance of Chicago brought contemporary lines, chic silhouettes, and a corporate sensibility to the Carlson Family Stage at Northrop Auditorium on January 30th , 2016. The company opened with Crystal Pite’s Solo Echo. Seven dancers moved across a very shadowy stage in movement sequences inspired by Mark Strand’s poem Lines for Winter. Though the dark lighting design seemed integral to the piece, the effect often made it difficult to see what was happening onstage and gave off a melodramatic impression. Solo Echo is one of those dances during which it snows onstage. Remember when it used to be crazy to see onstage precipitation? Snow and rain aren’t just for Singin’ in the Rain or The Nutcracker anymore. Unfortunately, that means the choice came off as cliché. Pite choreographed several, stunning motifs that brightened my experience of Solo Echo. In them, the dancers took on a series of poses that gradually varied from one another in a way that simulated slow motion movements like level changes: it reminded me of looking at pages of a flip book. I was disappointed, however, when this technique was overused as the piece continued. The repetition deadened the impact. One of my favorite things is when I am watching a dance and can sense […]
↧