By Christopher Blank - The Commercial Appeal

Friday, March 5, 2010

One thing's certain about Ballet Memphis taking up residence in Playhouse on the Square's new theater: Never before has the dance company come into such detailed view.

If watching dance at the Orpheum is like seeing the heavens through a backyard telescope, at Playhouse you're gazing through the Hubble.

You want sweat, you'll see sweat. Want to hear feet thumping on the stage? You got it. Backstage panting, fake smiles, winces of pain, grunts of effort. It's all part of the package now, and in case it never registered before, dancing is an art because it's hard.

Magnified athleticism can be refreshing and even exciting when the company puts it to work in a program dedicated to visceral emotions.

The four pieces in "AbunDANCE: Joyful Noise" give the dancers a broad palette of styles and moods to play with. But even more, the program is about expression, and this company never has a problem expressing itself.

The world premiere of "S'épanouir," a new work by New York choreographer Jane Comfort, is 15 minutes of emotional build. Featuring original music by Memphis saxophone player Kirk Whalum, the piece opens with a solo dancer, Crystal Brothers, in a world of personal anguish. Audible sighs can be heard as she reaches out for help. Other dancers arrive, one at a time, adding to her support system.

In one marvelous instant, the music finally bursts into a hand-clapping gospel celebration. Brothers is literally transported to a new plane of happiness when Rafael Ferreras lifts her into the air, feet first, and holds her there long enough for everyone to soak in her joy. The piece is a departure for Comfort, known for her more theatrical style, but for Ballet Memphis, "S'épanouir" can only blossom with time.

Robert Battle's "Takademe," frequently performed by Alvin Ailey dancers, is a great solo acquisition for the company. Both Kendall Britt (on Saturday) and Jonathan Powell (on Sunday) captured the exotic flavors of the piece while bringing very different physical and stylistic attributes.

Petr Zahradnicek's new work "Broad Waters" is a sensitive adagio in shades of blue, set to choral music by Henryk Gorecki. While it appeared less compatible with the program's joyful theme, the dance gave the company some of its most precise movement of the evening.

The revival of Trey McIntyre's celebratory "Second Before the Ground" closes the program. Though lacking in the sauciness and humor of McIntyre's 2001 staging, it returns with force and exuberance. It was the only work almost too big for the intimate stage, at times bursting at the seams with so much action that you wish you could watch it again, maybe from across the street.

Ballet Memphis' "AbunDANCE: Joyful Noise"

Performances continue at 8 tonight and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at Playhouse on the Square, 66 S. Cooper. Tickets are $10-$70. Call 737-7322.