The truth is, the annual DanceNOW Festival that runs at the beginning of the dance season (September), must be on your calendar. The challenge of making a 5-minute work for the incredibly small stage at Joe’s Pub is enough of a draw, but the lineup is yet another reason to show up. The 2017 season opened with standout performances by binbin Factory/Satoshi Haga & Rie Fukuzawa, Kyle Marshall Choreography and Jane Comfort Company. Deborah Lohse (aka TruDee), as always, was the funny and talented anchor between the performers and audience. For their premiere, Untitled, in pink tutus and ever-changing facial expressions, Haga and Fukuzawa skittered around the space, one-behind the other in lock step, until they extend their arms like birds taking to the air. Miriam Gabriel and Nick Sciscione in Marshall’s two wage, were simply smooth. Deliciously moving from slow and shared balances to rhythmic patterns with undercurrents of protest (a gun and an uncontrolled marionette)—this left us wanting more. And Comfort’s Four Screaming Women, performed by Comfort, Peter Sciscioli, Nancy Alfaro and Leslie Cuyjet was a constant stream of laughs in the way the cast melded movement, gestures and words. They’d repeat movement and matching phrases with questions like: “are you nervous?” “did you vote?” “did you win…?” until the audience knew what was next and just joined in. Also on the program were works by Loni Landon Dance Project, Heidi Latsky, Cleo Mack, Take Ueyama, Amber Sloan and Ian Berg.
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