Julliard Dance, The New Dances: Edition 2012

The Julliard Dance School under the Direction of Lawrence Rhodes, had their 2012 dance program Dec. 12-16 @ the Sharp Theatre.  All programs consisted of 4 world premiers by 4 of today's most talented choreographers created for each class.  "Stages" by Camille A. Brown & "In Pursuit of Falling" by Emery LeCrone were the first 2 pieces on the program and somewhat similar.  The dancers were all dressed in  shades of gray with dark lighting & somber music.  "Stages" evoked a tribalistic hunting atmosphere that pulsated to percussive music.  "In Pursuit of Falling" the female dancers wore  billowing dresses.  Benches were used as props.  While seated, the women's faces were turned away by the male dancers from the center stage dancers.  The benches were also used to lift a standing female by 2 male dancers.  Women fell backwards from the benches into the arms of their male partners.  The stage was backlit with flashing neon lights, the acoustics were those of an orchestral warm-up.  The dancers maintained somber expressions.   The overall impression was that of women being the submissive sex.  "Footholds" brought a ray of sunshine to the program with a brightly light stage & uniformly vivid green & silver leotards.  More balletic movements were apparent with uniform port de bras & formations in unison. The final piece "Footholds" had the dancers wearing individual jeans & T-shirts. The dance had a high energy, aggressive quality suggesting urban life-style & congestion.  All the dancers were technically strong, artistic and a joy to behold.  Raymond Pinto, a Princess Grace Awardee was a standout, with a promising career ahead in the world of dance.  I look forward to the Julliard New Dances:  Edition 2013.