By Susan Yung
This weekend will see two danceworld milestones in one – nicholasleichterdance celebrates its tenth anniversary in a June 29-July 1 run at Dance New Amsterdam, marking the close of DNA’s first season in its new Lower Manhattan space. The company performs four works choreographed by Nicholas Leichter, commissioned over the course of a decade by DNA.
On June 29, in a benefit for nicholasleichterdance, the company of eight will be joined by two special guests: Composer Eisa Davis, who describes her original music as “minimalist soul,” and dancer Jamie Bishton, who has worked with Twyla Tharp, ABT, and White Oak Dance Project. Together with Davis’s piano-driven acoustic band, the two will perform with the company in the premiere of “Sweetwash Special,” which evokes the experience of New York’s pedestrian culture, including its potential for intimacy.
Also on the bill is “Animal” (1997), a dynamic solo reflecting frenetic urban life that will be performed by Leichter, who is lauded by critics as a riveting and singular stage presence. And in “Undertow” (2000), four men (Daniel Clifton, Aaron Draper, Jared Kaplan, and Leichter) explore the tension between teamwork and selfishness.
Leichter’s company will also be performing “Discretion (Primo Vere)” (2004), part of Carl Orff’s cantata “Carmina Burana.” “Discretion” was originally choreographed as a duet at DNA, and was later expanded for the entire company when Leichter choreographed Orff’s complete “Carmina” suite. The Brooklyn Philharmonic commissioned this major opus, and the company performed it with the orchestra at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in February. At first glance, it would seem that Leichter’s cool, contemporary movement might be incompatible with the iconic bombast of Orff’s composition, but the result is fascinating. The music underlines the archetypes within the dance, and the choreography emphasizes the score’s timelessness, bringing it to the current moment.
Leichter’s distinctive dance vocabulary resists categorization. Invariably physical and musical, elements of wide-ranging dance styles – modern, club, African, hip-hop, and ballet – can surface at any moment. It can be set to a challenging commissioned score by a composer such as Chris Lancaster, or to catchy pop music by Stevie Wonder or Aaliyah. Leichter makes formal dances that are satisfying for pleasure’s sake, but the range of his work shades toward the pensive and bittersweet as well.
In the grand scheme of things, a ten-year milestone may not seem like a long time, but in the peculiarly unremunerative economy of the modern dance world, it’s no small feat. The company even plans to open a studio in Chelsea this year, one that offers subsidized studio rentals, administrative mentoring, and technical support.
Dance New Amsterdam, for its part, has already undergone somewhat of a rebirth, shedding its old moniker (Dance Space Center, Inc.) and moving farther downtown after being located on Broadway in Noho and Soho for 21 years. When DNA moved into the historic Sun Building on Chambers Street last February, it was the first major cultural non-profit to move back to lower Manhattan since 9/11. In addition to inaugurating a new performance space, DNA is a popular destination for dance classes, workshops, residencies, and studio space.
Performances of nicholasleichterdance run from June 29 – July 1, Thursday- Saturday at 8pm at Dance New Amsterdam, 280 Broadway, 2nd floor. Tickets for the June 29 performance with guest artists Eisa Davis and Jamie Bishton are $50; otherwise, tickets are $20 general admission and $15 for DNA members, and are available through Ticket Central at (212) 279-4200 or www.ticketcentral.com. For more information, visit www.dnadance.org.
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