Philadanco, just fab at 40
Nov 14th, 2009 | By Dance Journal Staff | Category: Reviews
By Ellen Dunkel, For The Inquirer
In its birthday program this gem of a troupe looks both mature and current.
It’s Philadanco’s 40th birthday, but the modern dance company looks as fresh and strong as ever.
The troupe opened its season at the Kimmel Center Thursday night with a program that includes a world premiere, a cameo appearance, and a celebration of women’s derrieres.
Companies and choreographers all over the world have tackled Bolero, with varying degrees of success. Indeed, Philadanco’s is the second new version in Philadelphia in just four months (BalletX premiered one in July). But the music is so well-known and loaded with expectation that it can be a minefield to choreograph.
For the anniversary, Christopher Huggins created a beautiful, classy Bolero full of personality and risky moves. Much of the piece is a series of duets that require great flexibility, balance, control, and trust, as the men stretch, twist, and throw their partners. The piece is set at a club, and bits of tango are worked into the balletic choreography. There’s a controlling woman, the one who needs to be held, and lots of macho men eager to strut their stuff.
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