Dre.dfully Boring

"dre.diohead"
dre.dance
LaGuardia Performing Arts Center
May 1st, 2010

by Christopher Atamian
Copyright © 2010, Christopher Atamian


"Dre.diohead"-a fluffy, jazzy, fifty minutes of anodyne, soporific movement by dre.dance set to Radiohead songs: exactly the type of show that popular audiences sometimes adore and critics abhor.  If the performance were a recipe, the ingredients would have been one part aerobics class, one part "A Chorus Line" and one part "Cabaret," minus much of the excitement. 

According to the company literature, this world premiere is supposedly set in the middle of a New York City block meant to "act as a delineation between the 'stage' of public life' versus the 'backstage' of private life." A semi-transparent curtain does sometimes appear, but Andrew Palermo's choreography doesn't reveal much about the actors' lives—public or private.

In the piece presented on Saturday night the dancers variously formed a V and made hacking movements with their arms, ran front stage and back, sat down on the floor, executed simple but virtuoso leg and arm movements and stood up and ran in circles clockwise and counter-clockwise.  In one of the more interesting moments of the performance, they faced each other two-by-two: one dancer fell onto the other's chest, while the second dancer appeared to repel the first using only (his) pectoral muscles.

Two-thirds of the way into the performance, the dancers all looked up at the ceiling with the same empty befuddled stare as the poor boy in Algebra class who couldn't factor correctly.  What any of them were looking for was beyond us – most of the Radiohead songs had no words to accompany their monotonous electronic scores, and even when they did it was hard to make out what was being said.  Dance need not have a narrative.  To be successful, however, a piece should either make some sort of point (repetition for repetition's sake; the emptiness of modern life; randomness as an organizing factor in one's daily existence) or else at least display some innovative movement vocabulary.

The dancers were all well-toned and technically competent—they executed Palermo's tepid choreography exceptionally well and deserved kudos for being as gifted as they are.  Standout Tommy Scrivens leapt to the skies and displayed gripping raw emotion in a fast, superbly-executed solo to “The Gloaming”, while the other male dancer, Brandon Tyler, also showed glimpses of what he could do to “Wolf at the Door.”  Performing with top hat and stick—not exactly the most novel idea—he mimicked a beggar, a chorus boy, someone being stabbed and a few other riveting renditions that displayed acting talent as well. 

Had the choreography showed any signs of originality during the rest of this short presentation, this otherwise directionless night of dancing might have made a stronger impression.  Dre.dance received a standing ovation from an audience that seemed to be was comprised heavily of company supporters and diehard Radiohead fans.  Unfortunately, the performance left one unmoved—at least in "A Chorus Line" the dancers come forward and tell their stories: the jazzy razzmatazz carries a human face behind it—it's not just a lot of empty, soulless prancing.  Next time I'd rather save the subway fare and watch an aerobics class at my local gym.

Copyright © 2010, Christopher Atamian

Photos of “dre.diohead” by Steven Schreiber