page 8
daily nebraskan
thursday, april 2, 1981
Joff rey II dancers lack energy to grab crowd
CI?
By Sioux Braun
As the name suggests, Joffrey II dancers were second
rate Tuesday night at Kimball Hall compared with the
quality one would expect from a professional ballet
troupe.
From the beginning, there was an absence of energy
in the dancers that kept the production from developing
into an aesthetically moving experience.
Marjorie Mussman simplistically combined variations
of pirouettes and arabesques to choreograph "Random
Dances," the first dance of the evening. The repetitive
spins and kicks became almost immediately boring.
Members of the Joffrey II Ballet Company prepare
for a Tuesday night performance.
Although the dancers had wonderfully elevated leg
extensions, they relinquished all control with their kicks
once they positioned their legs to reach high in mid air.
In other words, there were no recoveries. And the dancers
enthusiasm was nil.
The kind of choreography in "Random Dances" al
lowed for lyrical and rhythmic mistakes by overlapping
the dance segments and weaving in the groups of per
formers. Yet various individual errors were obvious.
Many of those errors were delivered by Lee Hutton.
He hesitated often and danced as though he was just
learning each step by indiscreetly watching the other
dancers.
He tried to compensate for his lagging by maintaining
a flashy smile that the othei dancers failed to bear.
At least, unlike his counterparts, he appeared to be en
joying himself.
One bright star
The choreographer's design staggered formations
and diagonal lines well and used the stage completely.
However, transforming into those formations seemed to
be the problem. The dancers struggled to situate them
selves in their respective positions. When the entire
group had to intertwine into different formations, the
convergence was sloppy.
Dance member Edward Morgan is one asset Joffrey
II should relish. Morgan had abilities that radiated among
the corps. He captured attention with a forceful style
and was as easy to focus on as a talented principal dancer
even when his parts were blended with the others.
His movements were accented with an inspiring charac
terization of "The Rain Maker." With music by Aaron
Copland, the piece illustrated human needs. Love, comp
ensation and faith occupied the story of a pioneer com
munity enhanced by a backdrop of dry irrigation fields.
Morgan gave a convincing performance as the title
character in his bright red boots and bright red cowboy
hat. His concentration was unbroken and his movement
was strong and flawless. Along with the ballet, the dance
included several square-dance steps.
The role of Sissy, successfully portrayed by Karin
Hanson, responded well with the role of the rain maker -their
interplay was smooth and relaxed. Morgan and
Hanson fused together on stage, the electricity was notice
able. Hanson's appearance in this piece, as well as in
others, were disciplined and accurate.
"The Rain Maker" revealed the versatility of the
dancers as performers. Some of them could act. Some
of them couldn't.
Continued on Page 9
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