June 24-30, 2004

dance

Ancestral Lines

by Deni Kasrel

Was there a psychic backstage at the Thursday night program for Jeanne Ruddy Dance's recent run at Drexel's Mandell Theater? You've got to wonder, because spirits were definitely channeled. The main personalities conjured up belonged to José Limõn, and Martha Graham — two revolutionary choreographers who helped shape the face of modern dance.

The opener, "Patient Spider," choreographed by Peter Sparling, is an acknowledged tribute to Limín. Ruddy, the company's artistic director, danced with Graham's troupe and her own work frequently carries vestiges of her mentor. This attachment to pioneering choreographers known for literal styles leads some folks to view this company as living in the past. "It's dated," uttered one person during intermission. Depends on how you look at it. Is classical ballet dated? Personal preference counts for a lot.

In any event, Ruddy is not concerned with making work that's cutting edge. Her material comes from and reaches for the heart and mind, and it often bears a palpable sense of femininity. This was surely so with "Falling In ," where three solos portray women dealing with life's ups and downs. Of special note here was the second movement, done to Nigel Kennedy's version of "Purple Haze," which had Renée Robinson-Buzby dressed in '60s hippie attire performing an intensely physical solo; grinding her hips, vigorously pumping her arms and legs, sliding on the floor and rising up with quicksilver grace, to call upon the unrest and experimentation that was so prominent during that era.

Ruddy's "Out of the Mist, Above the Real" presented a lyrical vision of the four stages of life. The first stage, "Childhood," included a marvelous performance by 3 1/2-year-old Noa Buzby (Robinson-Buzby's daughter), whose ability to dance on her own as well as partner with members of the company was impressive. Performed to Irish music that included a choir, and featuring a prominent angel character, "Out of the Mist" developed several mystical, almost religious, tableaux, with the cast becoming archetypal figures seeking communion and revelation.

The finale, "Songs Without Words," generated buzz prior to the show on account of its being choreographed by Broadway's Ann Reinking. An ode to the allure of l'amour, its main couple — Sun-Mi Cho and guest artist Zane Booker — gracefully embodied the sensations of budding romance. Various duets had these two taut dancers gamely echoing each other's gestures, which veered from feral and a tad cautious to supple and embracing. Meanwhile the rest of the cast played it cool and sexy. So beguiling, it made me want to fall in love.