Bill T. Jones Arnie Zane Dance Co. "Play & Play"

The Joyce Theatre featured Jones & Zane's Dance Co. in celebration of their 30th Annv. Mr. Jones has received a Tony Award for Best Choreography & a Kennedy Center Honor.  Today's matinee performance featured "Spent Days out Younder," ('00) "Continuous Replay," ('77, revised '91) and "D-Man in the Waters," (89.)  This season's programs pieces are all choreographed to classical music with the String Orion Quartet's live accompaniment.  The choreography, all by Jones and a Jones/Zane collaboration for "Continuous Replay," are modern dance compositions melding text and audio to highlight social issues:  AIDS and racial inequality.  "Spent Days," has a subdued, quiet power.  The 3 principal dancers face away from the audience and dance in unison, forming sharp angles with their arms while other dancers move slowly across the stage.  The dancers never look towards the spectators and there is little contact between the dancers til the end of the piece.  "Continuous Replay," features nude dancers, dancing in unison making "Egyptian" like movements and hissing sounds.  While the nudity & choreography is assertive, it actually serves to underly the verbal text. "You remind me of George Washington & Genghis Khan, guys who step into the world with no idea where they're going."  Neither piece, I cared for, NOT, but "D-Man," I liked, a LOT.  Inspired by the dancer, Damian Acquavella who died of AIDS, the piece is exuberant with an aquatic theme. The dancers (dressed in fishing gear) portray sea creatures being lured and captured.  Or, in pas de deuxs with one partner (the demon?) entices the other to bend to their will.  The excitment of this piece jumps right out at you.