Iona dance troupe's 'Destiny' still cluttered

By Ana Paula Hofling
Special to The Advertiser

•	'Destiny' An Iona Contemporary Dance Theatre event, presented by Nova Arts Foundation 8 p.m., today, Hawai'i Theatre $25-$45 ($5 discount for students, seniors, military) 528-0506 On Maui 7:30 p.m., June 7 Castle Theatre, Maui Arts & Cultural Center $25-$40 (808) 242-7469 On Kaua'i 7:30 p.m., June 13 Performing Arts Center, Kaua'i Community College $25-$35 (866) 360-0099

In the first section, the "Garden of Eternal Truth," Andrea Torres is mesmerizing in her slow, deliberate, controlled movements on a suspended ring. Her exquisite performance alone is worth the price of admission.

Once again, Dennis Miller is precise and engaging in his delivery of the monologue on the origins of the universe. In another monologue, much improved this time around, Sami Akuna shows that "Destiny" does have a sense of humor about itself. In a red dress, black pumps and a red hat, Akuna humorously tells the audience of self-discovery through colonics, controlled breathing, aura readings and other new age methods of seeking well-being.

"Destiny" is the epitome of new age. Much of the text is overly esoteric, pre-digested and sometimes even preachy. "Violence only increases hate," "We must change" and "The goddess must be liberated" are examples of the often uninteresting bits of text used in "Destiny."

The fact that the dancers' movements often make direct reference to the text doesn't leave room for the audience to be an active participant in the interpretation of the theatrical event.

Destiny is still thick on costumes, props and disconnected "characters" and thin on choreographic structure. Some of the best choreography in this work is used as a backdrop for "characters" struggling to deliver the director's message downstage.

The male dancers are sadly underutilized: They are restricted to walking stiffly, posing and carrying the women. The two male additions to this year's cast, Wailana Simcock and Kane Balbin (two accomplished contemporary dancers) are only allowed to dance to their full potential toward the end of the piece, in a section entitled "The Tower."

In this section, Balbin, Simcock and Darren Miller fly and glide smoothly over their respective tree stumps. One minute they stand immobile on top of their stump and the next they are on the ground, ready to rebound and float over the stump again, supported momentarily on one hand.

Iona Contemporary Dance Theatre is known for its visual spectacle. Unfortunately, even with all the talent of a cast composed of some of the best performers on the islands, the work lacks substance and coherence. It clearly struggles to convey a specific message that gets lost in the clutter of images.