The Kaye Playhouse, New York, NY.
April 18, 2024.
Tom Gold Dance, based in 2008 by Tom Gold, held its spring season at The Kaye Playhouse at Hunter Faculty on April 17 and 18, in NYC. Whereas the corporate has carried out works from many choreographers over time, this season, all three items (one being a world premiere) on this system had been authentic Tom Gold choreography. The night was offered with out an intermission.
The primary piece, Counterpoint, a duet in 4 actions for man and girl, was set to 2 items by Steve Reich: “New York Counterpoint” (for clarinets) and “Nagoya Marimbas” (for xylophone). Whereas each items of music had very totally different tonal qualities, they shared a delicate however driving pulsation. The dancing mirrored the music in that sense. There was recognizable ballet vocabulary, and in addition deviations from it. A flexed foot right here, a damaged line there, however positioned in such configuration that the actions acted as drivers in live performance with the pulsation of the music.
The world premiere of Lavender is all of the Rage stuffed the second spot on this system. For 4 dancers in 4 actions, this work is ready to Ezio Bosso’s String Quartet No. 5 – Music for the Lodger. Just like the piece prior, the type of the composition was a repetitive journey that felt wave-like in high quality. In step with the construction of the music, the motion used geometric patterns and stylized walks to type a foundation for the work. The title is a reference to the Lavender Scare of the McCarthy period which normalized the persecution of gay individuals.
Lastly, we’ve Speedy Oxidation, a duet for 2 girls. Set to music by Donald Knaack, aka The Junkman, we end the night time with the identical type of charging, repetitive sounds. The duet portrays the expertise of people that ignite one another’s inventive passions. Costumed by Marlene Olson Hamm, the same, but totally different, black and white leotards present the individuality of the dancers, whereas additionally connecting them in a shared journey towards creativity. The dancers used crisp actions and head nods to precise and help one another’s journeys.
All three items had been exceptionally properly danced by artists of excessive caliber. It was refreshing to attend a present that was shorter in size with no intermission – holding the viewers on the planet of the choreography all through the night time. Musically, whereas constant, the programming lent towards the monotonous as every bit was a special shade of the identical tonal shade. Tom Gold Dance usually holds each a spring and fall season, and infrequently performs at outside venues across the metropolis through the hotter months.
By Emily Sarkissian of Dance Informa.
