By Merilyn Jackson
For The Inquirer
Group Motion’s 40th Anniversary show at the Painted Bride last weekend – a low-key event called “Shadow and Light” – bookended three modest dances with lovely receptions that gave longtime fans a chance to celebrate and reminisce about the company’s impact on the dance scene in the South Street community and in its current location in West Philly’s Community Education Center.
Group Motion’s roster has changed over time, but it usually has a few senior dancers who offer continuity with German expressionist dance, with which the company has never completely cut the cord. Before coming to Philadelphia, founders Manfred Fischbeck, Brigitta Herrmann, and Helmut Gottschild all had ties to Mary Wigman’s last studio in Berlin.
On the program was “A Shadow in the Aeolian Palace,” by the company of former Group Motion dancer Megan Bridge and her collaborator Peter Price, with input from Group Motion’s six dancers. In this and the other two pieces, the music was often more inventive than the choreography. READ FULL STORY
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Thank God Merilyn has not abandoned the dance community. Her insights to its history and reverence for its offspring keeps us relevant! Thank You Merilyn and Steve for this review venue!!
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