ARTS . Arts Picks

Dance Theatre X

Fri.-Sat., April 18-19, 8 p.m., $25, Painted Bride Art Center, 230 Vine St., 215-925-9914, paintedbride.org.


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Published: Apr 16, 2008

dance

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"It's definitely a bizarre work," Charles O. Anderson admits of Inou, which translates as "hidden shadows" in Japanese. "Mysterious is a better way to describe [it]," he amends. "It was intriguing for us to work with Eastern introspection. It made an amazing overlay."

Inou is the first product of Trxfr->Transfer, an African/Japanese dance exchange initiated by Dance Theatre X and commissioned by Painted Bride. Anderson's Xers usually perform barefoot in ecstatic, African-inspired contemporary movements; for Inou, Japanese choreographer Kota Yamazaki worked with dancers to incorporate butoh, an extremely slowed down and introspective Asian movement form.

Anderson returned Yamazaki's favor by creating a work for the Japanese Fluid Hug-Hug troupe using African dance forms, which will debut later this month at the Painted Bride.

Evidence of Things (Un)said, a work-in-progress that shares the program, comes solely from Dance Theatre X. Called "pure Anderson" by the choreographer himself, the piece is inspired by letters soldiers write to loved ones; in turn, the loved ones' souls are possessed by the things they read. But which soldiers? Which war? Says Anderson, the piece refers to any or all of them.

Fri.-Sat., April 18-19, 8 p.m., $25, Painted Bride Art Center, 230 Vine St., 215-925-9914, paintedbride.org.