York Dance Project: Reviewing Modern Landmarks – A Bold and Brilliant Night | Dance

WAh, the power in one big toe. This is the toe of dancer Amy Thicke, her sole thrusting forward with relentless force, that toe extending far, full of intent. If you can get that far from one foot, just wait until everything else starts moving. Thake’s single is a profound Martha Graham ballad, from 1937, produced in response to the Spanish Civil War. It’s only six minutes long, but it’s an intense six minutes: the precision of Graham’s style stripped to the core, the weight, grace and power. Among other things, it is an image of a kind of exhaustion when one’s smooth edges are cut short by the burden one carries.

In addition to reviving twentieth-century gems—such as Bela Lewitzky’s Kinaesonata (1970), danced with racing speed and millimeter precision—the Yorke Dance Project touts the first two performances in this truly rich and excellent program. Troubadour is the first new work by choreographer Christopher Bruce (now 80) in more than a decade.

Best known for the 1991 film “Rooster,” made with the Rolling Stones, Bruce chose Leonard Cohen this time. The songs, and Cohen’s deep voice, are very atmospheric. They are three-piece suits and wine-red dresses, scenes from an unforgettable midnight in a smoke-filled club. They tango through love, desire and fallibility, but Bruce never settles for the obvious in these pairings, always inventive, as is the endless rhythmic variations of the steps within the 4/4 rhythm frame. The craft is clear; Bruce still gets it.

Rising choreographer Liam Francis also knows the value of a good soundtrack. Created by composer Jethro Cook for Cast|X| He uses bits of the movie’s dialogue: “What have you done?” “I had no choice!” There are immediate parallels with choreographer Crystal Pitt, as bodies move in response to a rapid-fire text, but Francis’s movement is more amorphous – you can feel the guilt, the uncertainty, the accusation, the connectedness, without being sharply focused. It’s promising.

The best of the night is Lacrymosa, made for the company in 2015 by the late Robert Cohan, inspired by the idea of ​​Mary losing her son Jesus to his calling. Having danced with Martha Graham, Cohan hasn’t learned the art of choreography any more than is necessary – no small talk here but it says a lot. It is brilliantly crafted with bold, stylized strokes, but emanates from a profound humanity, while dancers Jonathan Goddard and Elie Muir make it starkly beautiful.