Kansas City is certainly on its way to becoming a booming center of arts and music, and last week ArtSounds joined the game.

By: Amy Wright

Posted: 10/20/08

Kansas City is certainly on its way to becoming a booming center of arts and music, and last week ArtSounds joined the game.

Last Wednesday, ArtSounds presented the 'e-motion' concert, a collaboration between composers from the Kansas City Electronic Music Alliance and choreographers from UMKC and the Kansas City area.

The concert featured performances of electronic music, instrumental performances, infrared motion tracking and world-premiere choreography, emphasizing "the intimate relationship between sound and kinetic motion."

A wide variety of artists presented several intense modern pieces with flowing form and thrilling music.

The first piece, "S**p Crackle *O*," centered around an erotic play on control between two dancers. Music by Christopher Biggs and choreography by Paula Weber kicked off the show with brilliant green light on a stark stage.

Next was "Mirage," with music by UMKC student Nihan Yesil. Dee Anna Hiett choreographed the piece, presenting dancers alive with savage grace and fierce, animalistic movements.

The stage was set on edge with the third piece, "Elusive Illusions in Paramnesia," with ice blues and grays. A trio of dancers played through an elusive argument with an air of crystalline beauty.

The piece featured music by William J. Lackey and choreography by Charles Gibson.

Jorge Sosa's "Carnival" challenged the minimalist tone of the concert with elaborate tribal costumes. Choreography by Mary Pat Henry came alive with ornate animal masks and primal dances.

The concert came to a close with "3rd Option," incorporating a wide scope of performance art with guitar performance by Joey Crane and narration by Jonathan Robertson. The piece follows the painful story of a cynical man and his disappointed son, as the son learns exactly who his father is. The stage was awash with bitter failure as a lone dancer worked through his hurt. With music by Jonathan Robertson and choreography by Lauren Thompson, the fusing of multiple art forms created a complete performance.

If you missed this concert, be sure to catch the next ArtSounds performance: Banten (Offerings) with Gamelan Genta Kasturi, Nov. 11 at Epperson Auditorium at the Kansas City Art Institute.

awright@unews.com

Kansas City Electronic Music Alliance:
"I See a Cat" - 8 p.m. (doors open at 7:30 p.m.) Oct. 24 at La Esquina, 1000 W. 25th St.

Urban Culture Project:
On View: Art by Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art Security Officers, Paragraph Artspace, 23 E. 12th St. Thursday and Saturday, 12-5 p.m. Closes Nov. 13.

UMKC Conservatory:
Kids Club: "Peter and the Wolf" with Leia Barrett and David Korac. White Hall. 10 a.m., Nov. 1. Tickets: $6.

Musica Nova:
Etudes and Parodies, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 31. Free.

Signature Series:
Battleworks Dance Company, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 25, White Hall.

Crescendo!:
Conservatory's annual fundraiser. 6 p.m., Nov. 1, Hyatt Regency Crown Center. Call (816) 235-6260 for ticket information.

Kansas City Art Institute:
Kansas City Design Flatfile - H & R Block Artspace, 16 E. 43rd St. Kansas City. Runs until Dec. 13.