News

Living Dances: An Evening of Contemporary Kudelka

• Coleman Lemieux & Compagnie
• At Fleck Dance Theatre
• in Toronto on Wednesday

James Kudelka has found an artistic home as resident choreographer with Coleman Lemieux & Compagnie. Living Dances: An Evening of Contemporary Kudelka is both a look forward and a look back. The two Kudelka works from the 1980s, In Paradisum and Soudain L'Hiver Dernier , are Canadian classics. The two new pieces show that Kudelka's greatness is anchored in his intriguing physical images.

The world premiere Beautiful Movie features CL&C co-artistic director Bill Coleman, countertenor Daniel Taylor, the seven musicians of Taylor's Theatre of Early Music, six silent watchers, a chair, and a rag doll. The piece is set to arias by Heinrich Schütz and J.S. Bach that both use the text Erbarm Dich , which means “pity me” or “have mercy.”

The use of the doll and the baroque sacred music are vintage Kudelka in their quirkiness. First, the doll is dressed exactly like Coleman and Taylor, in a grey suit and white shirt. Throughout the piece, Coleman manipulates the doll, harassing Taylor, who is singing all the while. The doll's constant pushing and prodding is manifested in a tightly choreographed trio.

Nothing in Kudelka's work happens by chance, and he is very crafty in his metaphors. Rather than a piece of whimsy, this relentless doll is disturbing. The three characters appear like fractured parts of one personality, particularly because nothing is resolved at the end and the three remain in a state of tension.

On one level, there is a melodramatic quality to the kaleidoscope of movement and constant shifting of positions, but there is no escape from this alter ego. One wonders just how beautiful this movie is to the watchers? Who, if anyone, is showing pity for the put-upon Taylor? Is it schadenfreude because the misery is happening to others?

Sonata of the Guardian Angel (for unaccompanied violin) by Heinrich Biber is the score which has inspired Kudelka's “See” series. See #1 (2007) is a solo for co-artistic director Laurence Lemieux. Violinist Adrian Butterfield is planted stage centre. He is the fixed-point foil to Lemieux, who is drawn inexorably to something beyond her reach.

Lemieux can't stop staring into space, and that urge is manifested in vigorous movement that shifts between trying to attract attention and coming to terms with her own disquiet. Huge high kicks, big swooping arms and ferocious turns all speak to her emotional disarray.

This dance concert, which features 10 excellent dancers, superb music and stimulating repertoire, is a class act from start to finish.

Living Dances concludes tonight at the Fleck Dance Theatre.