Labayen Dance/SF

Jillian Davis in Prayer is Not Enough.

Photo by Andrew Faulkner

Labayen Dance in Prayer is Not Enough.
Photo by Andrew Faulkner 

Labayen Dance in Prayer is Not Enough. 
Photo by Andrew Faulkner

Labayen's Dynamic Spring Season

The Labayen Dance/SF Spring Season 2012 of Revivals & Premieres at San Francisco’s ODC theatre April 20-22 showcased seven pieces by three choreographers. Inspiration for the dances ranges from environmental stewardship, to human relationships, unrequited emotions, and the expression of memory and reasoning.

Award winning choreographer, Enrico Labayen, the company Artistic Director, welcomed the audience at the start of the program. From the warm reaction of the audience to him and after each of the evening’s offerings, it is obvious that this artist is held in high esteem, supported by a loyal community of knowledgeable fans.

Premieres of the  evening’s program of April 20th were Sacred Stones, For 2, Marriage Song, and the concert centerpiece world premiere of Labayen’s Kulang Ang Dasal (Prayer is Not Enough).

Sacred Stones choreographed by Enrico Labayen is a stirring piece of meditative slow movement, which emanated from the accomplished guest artist Laura Bernasconii. Bernasconii travelled in a diagonal line, sustaining several long-held arabesques, which melted into fibrous movement to the hauntingly beautiful and trancelike music by Sheila Chandra.

Marriage Song, is a fleeting dance, with elegantly stylized intricate footwork and arm movements, brilliantly performed by Victor Talledos & Daiane Lopes da Silva, to Bernasconii’s choreography and the music of Gregg Ellis.

For 2, choreographed by guest artist Frederick Gaudette was beautifully danced by Jaidah Terry and Gaudette. The wonderful sustained fluidity of the movement between the two was lyrical, with dynamic changes of pace as they turned and entwined themselves exploring dimensions of human interactions and relationships to Mark O’connor’s music. Terry and Gaudette were well matched as partners and communicated with a sincere and joyous rapport. 

Labayen’s World Premiere Kulang Ang Dasal, (translated from Tagalog, means “Prayer is Not Enough”) incorporated his company of twelve dancers. This longer piece was dramatic, moving and seamlessly progressed through five sections of increasing emotional intensity: Invocation, Guilt, Conscience, Wailing Confession, and Children of the Light. With creative choreography, visual & the striking cream and black costume design, all by Labayen, and Andrew Faulkner’s additional photographs projected on the large back wall, the themes explore the perception of memory and reason and allude to the atrocities of holocaust poignantly.

Dancers Jillian Davis, Josie Sadan, Margaret Tappan, Peta Barrett and Victor Talledos were standouts in this Prayer and danced with compelling energy in their combinations of ones, pairs and threes. And the entire company was committed to the emotion and storytelling of the narrative through their movement and occasional stillness. Some attention to the unison of the full company dances would enhance this new and interesting work. Music by Silver Mt. Zion Band & Peter Garland complemented the atmosphere of this dance well, including pulsating rhythms, eerie sound effects and sporadic spoken words. Lighting for Prayer is Not Enough and the entire program was well designed with dramatic effect by Jose Ma. Francos.

The three Revivals of the program en-Gulf-ed, Cloth and Glass – are all choreographed by Labayen.

en-Gulf-ed, re-staged and movingly danced by Daiane Lopes da Silva, was conceived as a response to the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The visual & costume design by Labayen comprised wrinkled black trash bags strewn across the stage, where da Silva, costumed in the same bags, became part of the oil as she walked, recoiled, pulled and pushed herself through the “oil slick” soulfully to David Lang’s emotive music.

Labayen received an Isadora Duncan Dance Award for Outstanding Achievement in Choreography for Cloth, a male duet inspired by King Solomon’s Songs. The amazing Victor Talledos & guest artist Brendan Barthtel explore human connections and un-requited emotions as they stretch and move in and around a long piece of white fabric with imagery and athleticism. They find powerful, edgy and one or two almost tender moments in their bold rapport throughout the motifs and themes. The combination of Labayen’s choreography and visual design, Talledos’ and Barthel’s high level of athletic performance, Mark Tibenham’s music, and Francos’ lighting make this a complete and accomplished work.

Glass was a feast of high energy driven by moody and dramatic Philip Glass’ music with the full company. In the Second Movement Jillian Davis was charismatic and dynamic, with great extensions, in her solo. Victor Talledos and Daiane Lopes da Silva danced a stylish duo and related well to each other as partners, very nice work. The final moments with the full company were powerful and used the space well visually. 

Future performances of Labayen Dance/SF include a Russian Tour in June/July 2012 and a Home Season at San Francisco’s Z Space in October 2012. Website: http://www.labayendancesf.org

Jo Tomalin Ph.D. 
Critics World
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