Dancers perform challenging works

The dance community braved icy rains and forecasts of snow to see a remarkable spring concert presented by UMKC dance students Friday, April 13, and Saturday, April 14, in White Recital Hall.

"The performances were amazing … the kids were really on their legs … everything really came together," dance major Christopher Page, sophomore, said about his peers.

The concert opened with "Unplugged," an unconventional, fast-paced modern ballet piece choreographed by Paula Weber, with music by Kenji Bunch. Dressed in jazzy short skirts and shorts, dancers performed angular movements to driving music, pushing the envelope of what most people picture as ballet.

Next up was a politically-themed suite choreographed by Sabrina Madison-Cannon to rock and blues standards: Edwin Starr's "War," "Tryin' Times" and Jimi Hendrix's "Fire." The cast was relatively large at 20 dancers, because the faculty wanted to include as many dancers as possible so they have performance experience.

"The students work very hard … and they deserve an opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned," said Madison-Cannon. "It also gives them the opportunity to gain more stage experience, which ultimately makes them better, more seasoned dancers when they graduate."

The Kansas City Ballet's own ballet master, James Jordan, choreographed a moving piece, "Absentia," with original music by William J. Lackey. The musicians played live on stage as the six ballet dancers performed around them. This original piece was dedicated to the memory of Jordan's friend and mentor, Todd Bolender, who had recruited Jordan for the Kansas City Ballet. To Jordan, the piece represented the loss of Bolender, and the absence of his presence and influence.

"The project has been a wonderful process," said Jordan. "When I met the composer at a Young Audiences fundraiser last May, we hit it off, and we collaborated over the summer .... then we worked with the dancers weekly since mid-January. I am very pleased with how it turned out."

The last piece in the first half was "29 People," choreographed by assistant professor Jennifer Medina and set to "Exurgency" by Zoe Keating.

"What I ended up with was 29 people, so that's what I called the piece," said Medina. "All 29 dancers are onstage throughout the eight-minute piece."

The piece represented the phenomenological experience of the creation of the choreography, as it was happening, for both for the choreographer and the dancers.

"We are all individuals and yet we are all part of a community, a collective, as well … I tried to represent that experience in the choreography," Medina said. "At times it is like the 29 dancers represent 29 different phrases in the music through dance."

The last piece was the George Balanchine ballet "Serenade," performed to the music of Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, and staged by repetiteur for The George Balanchine Trust, Jerri Kumery. Kumery made a number of trips to Kansas City to work with the students directly.

The ballet prompted a standing ovation and a host of commentary from the ballet community.

"They have really grown over the last year or so ... you would not know they were students," said Westport Ballet founder Elizabeth Hard. "It was a wonderful show, it was a challenging show. [The] faculty did not water it down for them and the students were up to it."

Perhaps the greatest compliment came from Randall Pembrook, dean of the UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance.

"This program tonight moved the whole dance department forward," said Pembrook. "They took on a challenge that was monumental and pulled it off. I could not be more pleased - it took my breath away."

nenglish@unews.com