'Avec Nous' Not Unified By Poetry

With pieces ranging from the thought-provoking, to the entertaining, to the downright bizarre, the Green Street Studio’s contemporary dance production of “Avec Nous” was an intense experiment—the dancers performed to poetry rather than music. But although it presented an interesting premise, the Central Square show was not uniformly successful and at times evoked feelings of discomfort with its raw emotional content and powerful subject matter.

The opening piece, “The Council,” was one of the most successful numbers of the evening. Choreographed by Nathan Andary of Andary Dance, the piece opened with the stunning image of a solitary dancer in the spotlight. The main focus was on the interaction between the soloist, Jun Lee, and the rest of the dancers who formed the “council.”

Lee was the highlight of the piece, with her incredible emotional expression and uninhibited motion. The corps dancers were also impressive, managing a high level of unity of motion, which was surprising given that they were not dancing to music for much of the number. The piece concluded with a high-energy sequence of pair dancing and an impressively coordinated series of floor movements.

“STAM” was choreographed and performed by Karen Krolak to a poem that she also wrote and recorded. Krolak, wearing only a bed sheet which she held up with one arm, performed sinuous and sensual movements offset by the wild expression of her face. The dance successfully reflected the poem, which explored the paranoid and self-destructive feelings of the speaker, but was unimpressive in terms of actual choreography. More of a dramatic statement than an enjoyable work of art, the piece was dominated more by Krolak’s crazed facial expressions than her dancing.

Krolak also choreographed and soloed in “Attraversiamo,” the most peculiar and least successful piece of the evening. Krolak, who appeared in torn jeans and an orange plaid jumper with a string of stuffed socks sewn on the back, appeared to portray the frustration and self-doubt of a dancer in today’s society. Krolak’s interaction with the spoken words of the soundtrack varied from worriedly trying to “shhhh” the recording to singing along with it, repeating the words over and over again.

The actual choreography, which took a backseat to the bizarre costuming, sound and acting, consisted of Krolak’s character flailing wildly, gnashing her teeth and slapping herself. In the middle of the piece, three coquettish and startlingly sane-acting girls entered and performed a flirtatious sequence of steps, serving to highlight the difference between themselves and Krolak’s disheveled appearance and uncontrolled movements.

The vocal accompaniment ended with the sentence, “Dance is just below poetry on the rungs of the ladder of cultural priorities,” seeming to sum up Krolak’s persona’s frustration and bringing new meaning to the rest of the poem. Although the choreography was energetically and whole-heartedly carried out, its bizarre nature prevented the piece from making any meaningful impression.

“A Space Carved Out,” choreographed by Ruth Bronwen and performed by Catherine Murcek, was the most pleasant piece of the evening. The soundtrack consisted of peaceful vocals and strings, as well as a prayer-like poem. The choreography, which switched seamlessly between alternately violent and flowing movements, gave the piece a sentiment that was at once intensely focused and serene. Murcek’s earnest expression and effortless executions made the piece a pleasure to watch.

“Moon Chaser” provided a refreshing and amusing conclusion to the performance. Choreographed by Bronwen in collaboration with the dancers, the piece featured a band of flirtatious, pixie-like figures, who teased and played with each other using both set choreography and improvisation. The use of the curtain across the back of the stage was the most creative and also the most humorous part of the piece; during a solo or duet, a gesturing hand or foot would appear from under the curtain, suggesting further frolicking behind the scenes. Again, Murcek’s energy and visible exuberance shone and made her stand out from the rest of the dancers.

Although “Avec Nous” had many artistically successful moments, the performance was dominated by its jarring emotional content. The show’s choreography often went unnoticed on account of the bizarre nature of some of its pieces.

—Reviewer Rachel M. Green can be reached at rmgreen@fas.harvard.edu.