Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Program biographies for several performers in "Tokaji: Works for the Living" use the words "therapist," "healer" or "heal" to describe them or their work in the arts. It is no wonder that this production, presented Sunday at Warehouse by the Weerd Sisters, seemed more like a series of classroom exercises in self-discovery and exploration than a bona fide artistic statement.

In Diana Tokaji's "One Grain," she and dancer Ellen Barlow rolled about the stage on large inflatable fitness balls, testing gravity and the limitations of their own bodies. Later, in "Pneumonia: Three Little Birds," the dancers emerged wearing tiaras and holding hands to a recording of Bob Marley singing "Every little thing is gonna be all right." The moment would not have seemed out of place in a workshop for building self-esteem.

Despite these shortcomings, the spoken-word segments of the program were well crafted. In Jeanne Feeney's "Pieces of India," her quirky details and thorough descriptions of everything from elephants to "untouchables" brought intrigue and authenticity to the work. In other pieces, Tokaji's artful poetry greatly enhanced the often simplistic dancing.

"69 Ways to Fall in Love," also at Warehouse on Sunday, was a collaboration between musicians Basso Moderno Duo and dance ensemble Love Your Mother Performance Projects.

A white-haired man in a white suit and red tie delivered a monologue as Cupid. The actor, Jack Ryan, was a surprising and effective choice for an entity typically represented as a young, nude cherub. But cliches took over in other portions of the program, when images of water and flowers were projected onto a screen behind the dancers and musicians, and quotes such as "Will you marry me?" and "Happy Valentine's Day!" were incorporated into the sound score. It is difficult to approach the topic of love in a fresh, innovative way, and this group was only sometimes successful in doing so.

The dancers in this program had sound technique, but the choreography was not particularly sophisticated. As a result, the music and monologues were the most memorable portions of the performance.

-- Sarah Halzack