DANCE REVIEW
UH concert must-see for dance fans
By Carol Egan
Special to The Advertiser
It's always a treat to discover emerging artists at a University of Hawai'i dance concert, as I did at "Spring Footholds." The concert repeats today through Sunday.
This year's crop includes Christopher Steven Quiocho, a talent particularly worth watching, both as a dancer and a choreographer. Now a senior, Quiocho divides his time between his majors in dance and political science. By all indications, he should focus his attention on dance from now on.
Performing a solo choreographed for him by Gregg Lizenbery, the only faculty-created work on the otherwise all student program, Quiocho demonstrates gifts of musicality, articulation and confidence rare in student dancers. His proud carriage, reminiscent of the young Jose L’mon, is embellished with quirky hand gestures, sweeping arm movements which slice and press through space. Entitled "Bizarrie Sarabando," the piece conveys the essence of the Sarabande, a pre-classic dance form, enhancing it with contemporary twists and thrusts.
Using a concerto grosso by Corelli, Quiocho also shows a formidable talent for choreography in his balletic work for nine dancers. Despite being overloaded with movement and somewhat frenetic, the piece displays an understanding of structure and composition.
In stark contrast to Quiocho's ballet is a tap solo choreographed and performed by graduate student Wayles E.S. Haynes to music of Dizzy Gillespie. Haynes' strong modern dance background is evident in the way she consumes space and her use of arms and torso. Emphasis, however, is definitely on the complex tap rhythms and counter rhythms, which resound with clarity. Alternating with rapid-fire tap riffs, Haynes drags and slides her metal-plated shoes to create richly varied acoustic resonances. Despite occasional drops in energy level, Haynes carries off the virtuoso routine with considerable aplomb.
The remaining five works on the 90-minute program are in the modern-dance style and range from the slightly sinister "Garden" by Elizabeth Merida (impressive in her dancing, as well) to the comic "Boxed Set" of Malia Bowlby.
On a more serious note are three opening pieces, choreographed by Janie Ewing, Nicole Pouliot and Larisa A.K. Eastman.
Ewing's quintet is set against a filmed background depicting London sights, museum art works and a dance class in session. Excellent stage lighting (the work of graduate student Jungah Han) and oversized projections of the live dancers' shadows on the screen save it from being overpowered by the film.
Nicole Pouliot's solo, "Flight Bytes," pays homage to the pioneers of flight, using original text and excerpts from writings by and about such figures as Icarus and Amelia Earhart. Pouliot is capable of delivering both text and dance with equal strength.
Set to the Sonata for Two Violins by Sergei Prokofiev, Larisa A.K. Eastman's three-part work reflects the tension and angst of the music. Only the final duet begins to display a less-violent and more humane relationship.
