October 24–31, 1996

critical mass|dance

The Unicorn, the Gorgon and the Manticore

Once upon a time, there was a poet who lived — this won't surprise anyone — in a mythical castle, and "a very strange man was he," according to the chorus, which has amassed on stage right to sing to us about this poet. "Heshunned the Countess' parties. He yawned at town meetings. He did not let the doctor take his pulse."

So begins Gian Carlo Menotti's comic The Unicorn, The Gorgon and the Manticore, a work composed 40 years ago for a choral ensemble and orchestra and intended also as a score for ballet. The work is usually performed minus the ballet, however,as such collaboration between musicians, singers and dancers is rare.

Earlier this month, before sold-out audiences at the Seaport Museum, Unicorn was staged as Menotti originally wished — in a collaborative performance between the Philadelphia Singers (whose director, David Hayes, initiated the project) andthe Convergence Dancers and Musicians. Guest artists Dirk Platzek of the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company, and Leslie Carothers and Meredith Rainey of the Pennsylvania Ballet also had lead roles in the performance: as the poet, Unicorn and Manticore (afantastic mix of lion/dragon/human), respectively. The performance premiered new choreography by Convergence's artistic director Janaea Rose Lyn; Menotti's original choreographer was John Butler, who choreographed Unicorn for the New York CityBallet in 1957.

Convergence is a natural choice for such a project. Founded in 1989, it is in itself a collaborative group: a resident ensemble of dancers and musicians under the joint directorship of Lyn and music director Paul Fejko. The dancers, including Lyn,are an elegant, versatile group: not only clearly trained in classical ballet (witness the arched feet in the jumps and lifts) but versed in modern, if somewhat ancient modern (primary among Lyn's influences is Isadora Duncan). Lyn began hercareer in 1975 as an Isadora Duncan dancer, studying with one of Duncan's students.

The dancers outshone the choreography, both in Unicorn and in Critical Mass, a Convergence repertory piece included in the evening. Both pieces relied on simple patterns of choreography (like mirror dancing in Critical Mass, oranimal gestures in Unicorn) which repeated over-much. Lyn's variations on traditional ballet movement — particularly in partnering work — is interesting and often lovely work. At times, unfortunately, her choreography also feels sterile: themovement becomes almost rote, like an in-class dance exercise.

The dancers, however, did shine. The Unicorn opened to what looked like great fun: a treehouse-style platform, with the Convergence musicians underneath, the chorus to stage right, the poet languishing at the top of the treehouse, a gossipygroup of townsfolk underneath. In the course of the allegorical work, the poet emerges from his "mythical castle" with three fabulous animals in succession. Platzek as the poet was simply beautiful to watch: with a powerful, muscular buildbut great delicacy of movement. Convergence's Kip Martin is one of the best male dancers I've seen this season; he's slight-statured, very quick and elegant. He has the quality of never telegraphing the move he is about to execute, which makes hiswork all the more breathtaking.

In fact, the male dancers tended to steal the show, with the exception of Ms. Carothers — thin as a pillowslip, taut as wire, she made a lovely, toe-shoe-clod unicorn.

— Lisa Coffman