Newton's Laws

On Friday, I was at the Fleck Dance Theatre to see dance troupe Pro Arte Danza. This year, I came away with mixed feelings as these offerings weren't as compelling as their interpretations of Beethoven's 9th. The first was a remount of Diversion. In dim illumination and fog, dancers appeared from the back, bodies struggling against each other. They would often be dragged back into the darkness. This push/pull where partners switched between cooperation and conflict played out throughout the piece in various groupings and even solos.

In contrast, Fearful Symmetries, named after the music by John Adams, was all frenetic movement. The main image were the dancers running in place, a Buster Keaton-esque modern rat race for millenials. Interestingly, there was incorporation of hip-hop movement; this group has previously hewed closer to the classical ballet side of contemporary dance. I found the music enervating and stressful, to the point where I considered leaving the theatre. So this was not my favourite piece from this company.