UNC Charlotte’s Department of Dance presented a promising and diverse showcase November 20-23 with everything from classical ballet to an African-based work. The choreography of UNC Charlotte professors E.E. Balcos and Delia Neil was prominent, as well as historical works from Jules Perrot and Martha Graham. Program highlights included:

“It’s Only Love” – Choreographed by E.E. Balcos to the music of The Beatles, this piece had audience members rocking in their seats and nodding along. Eight dancers took to the stage in ’60s garb to jump and boogie away, but for all this work’s happy-go-lucky feeling, it actually tackled the serious topic of unrequited love across the divides of race and sex.

“Pas de Quatre” Lithograph of the Romantic Ballet, 1845. The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Jerome Robbins Dance Division, Cia Fornaroli Collection.

“Pas de Quatre” — A short ballet from 1845, this piece was created for the four greatest ballerinas of the day: Marie Taglioni, Carlotta Grisi, Fanny Cerrito and Lucile Grahm. The premiere of “Pas de Quatre” was legendary for the status of these superstars and their famed rivalry. Dancers Christina Hudgins, Tiffany Mako and Laura Dearman conveyed the charm and grace of the romantic period of ballet (the fourth dancer could not perform due to an injury). While the piece is a complex technical showcase, it does seem quite antiquated and even banal, with clearly delineated sections framed by stiff composed groupings and lack of storyline. However, its charm today lies in the nostalgia it evokes for childhood dreams of ballerinas twirling in their music boxes.

Performance of “Pas de Quatre” by UNC Charlotte Dance.

“Steps in the Street” — Part of a larger work, “Chronical,” choreographed by Martha Graham in 1936, responds to the rise of fascism and the devastation and isolation of war. The powerful, staccato movements of the dancers recalled masses of training soldiers or the rolling tide of war, which seems unstoppable as the dancers continually march or jump across the stage. The soloist resisted this collective movement at times, fighting against the current and emphasizing the isolation that comes with tragedy. The seemingly simplistic movements of this dance hide the complex patterns and compositional elements characteristic of Graham. The UNC dancers aptly captured the stark tension of this piece, which is so evocative for the audience.

Performance of “Steps in the Street” by UNC Charlotte Dance.

If you missed this performance of “Steps in the Street,” you will have another chance to view it in January when UNC Charlotte students perform it on a program with the Martha Graham Dance Company. This program will be presented by the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center in the Knight Theatre on January 20th. Assistant Professor of Dance Kim Jones, who is a regisseur of the Graham Resource Center and former member of the company, restaged this piece.