Visceral Dance Chicago returns to the Museum of Contemporary Art for their “Fall Engagement,” premiering three new works by Artistic Director Nick Pupillo, Kevin O’Day and Marco Palomino, and presenting two repertory favorites by Pupillo and Gustavo Ramirez Sansano, featuring brilliant lighting design by David Goodman-Edburg, Caitlin Brown and Savannah Bell.
“Lost Together” by Palomino draws from science fiction, fantasy and horror genres, and presents a cautionary yet optimistic tale of people struggling to retain their humanity in a futuristic transhuman world. To surreal music by Manuel Perez (Cauiero), dancers as robots appear from darkness. They gesticulate wildly, stiff and mechanically. They beckon us to join them as a disembodied voice says, “In reality, we’re all both audience and performers.” A lone figure is trapped in a bright rectangle—the world of light—disgusted at the wretched figures crawling over each other in the dark world; as the light closes in on her, blood-curdling screams send chills down the spine. In the end, they choose the light, and dressed in shimmering silver-metallic garb perform a rousing finale, a joyous reconnection to a shared humanity despite becoming less human.
In O’Day’s “Fielding Time,” the history of the world unfurls as if in a time-lapse. Earthtone costumes draw parallels to soil, and individuals toil by scraping the ground with their arms—some remain stationary but swaying to one side, as if cemented to the bottom of a river and being nudged by the current. A trio featuring dancers Aden Hurst, David Anthony Scheurman Saucedo and Kaliana Medlock reenact an ancient “love triangle,” as the two strapping individuals vie for Medlock’s attention by wrapping arms around her and lifting her away, a gentle tug of war—that they may all three be happy together is a conclusion that balks against preconceived notions of "traditional" relationships. The work skips back in time and the dancers become the Earth itself, continents shifting, culminating in sustained lifts like celestial bodies filling in the night sky. “Fielding Time” is a love letter to the Earth and an analogy for all of creation.
"Fielding Time," with Visceral Dance Chicago; Photo by KT Miller Photography
Pupillo pulls out all the stops in “Pearl,” where intricate light patterns are as much the focus as the dancing on stage. The work is heavy in ballet aesthetic with a twist; dancers trapped in an ever-shifting mélange of stark white boxes of light repeatedly achieve perfect lines and symmetry only to break them, to hyperextend them, at the last minute. The effect is breathtaking. Over time Pupillo’s work has become more narratively abstract, and the action here is so fast-paced—chop, swirl, bend, look left, walk, lunge, leap—that whole sections blur together. Sweet relief comes during a smoky trio, where dancers Da’Rius Malone, Alessandra De Paolantonio and Laura Mendes revert to a slower pace but with languid limbs unfurling, taking breaths, to the sound of sultry saxophone. Then it’s back to chop, swirl, bend… Pupillo’s use of lighting has been in constant evolution and may have reached its zenith here. Goodman-Edburg’s design plan consists of dozens of patterns: rectangles form individual squares, then a row of squares, now a large grid that ripples from left to right and back again… The choreography adeptly flows with the lights, but the design occasionally distracts from the dance. The evolution of Pupillo’s work has been like a bodybuilder lifting heavier and heavier to gain the ultimate “pump,” and “Pearl” is a flex of physical and technical artistry.
"Pearl," with Da’Rius Malone, Alessandra De Paolantonio and Laura Mendes; Photo by MREID Photography
Repertory works “Mad Skin” by Pupillo, and “18+1” by Sansano, provide further depth to an already diverse program. “Mad Skin,” a duet featuring Nia Davis and Tyson Ford, begins subdued and with themes of domination, as Davis bears clawlike fingers and thrusts herself on Ford’s back. Ford pulls her like a mule, and a grimace spreads across his face as he is forcied to his knees. The end is all fireworks, with Ford launching Tyson skyward in a variety of momentum-fueled lifts that begin fast then pause midair, like a rollercoaster cart stalling at the apex of a steep decline. “18+1” is like, well, eighteen different dances in one! To a stacked playlist of mambo songs by Pérez Prado, dancers engage in different scenarios, from Fosse-esque party scenes to the ensemble performing a kick line while seated on the edge of the stage. Both works are powerhouses on their own but are an especially delightful contrast to the other works in this program.
Sci-fi robots, superb storytelling, tender duets, rock-concert lighting... " Visceral Dance Chicago's “Fall Engagement" has something for everybody. As the weather finally turns cold, Visceral is keeping things hot!
Visceral Dance Chicago’s “Fall Engagement” runs through Nov. 24 at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, 220 E. Chicago Ave. Performances are on Fri and Sat at 7:30pm; Sun at 2pm. Tickets are $25-$80 at visceraldance.com or by clicking the company link below.
