Liz Gerring Dance Company opened the season at Peak Performances @ Montclair State (September
19-22) with the commissioned work glacier. Known as one of the abstract artist of this time, Gerring’s approach was intelligent and straight forward. We are greeted with a stark white floor, stark white panels that cover the back wall and visibility as far as possibly beyond just the stage. When the dancers do enter, they are outfitted in muted shades of black, grey, and a soft white. The stage was set for what Gerring promised “…simple strung movements, initially of hands and arms, transposing my ideas to a sequence of images.” One by one the dancers would enter, and true to her word, their fine movement did build to sequences. Simple shapes would fold and unfold to larger ones, a walk would change to a balance, legs would begin in one place and circle around to another, all matched by a sound score of a crash, scraping, water, thunder—glaciers? The dancers were exquisite, for instance, at one point when three male dancers shift seamlessly from one movement to another, there was no option but to be caught in their meditation, or conversely be drawn into the momentum of the women when they propel themselves into the space running and smiling. Admittedly it was sometimes hard to stay focused when movements repeated or the score lulled, but then again glaciers do move ever so slowly. Kudos to composer Michael J. Schumacher, production designer Robert Wierzel and the beautiful movers: Benjamin Asriel, Brandon Collwes, Tony Neidenbach, Adele Nickel, Brandin Steffensen, Jake Szcypek, Jessica Weiss and Claire Westby.
19-22) with the commissioned work glacier. Known as one of the abstract artist of this time, Gerring’s approach was intelligent and straight forward. We are greeted with a stark white floor, stark white panels that cover the back wall and visibility as far as possibly beyond just the stage. When the dancers do enter, they are outfitted in muted shades of black, grey, and a soft white. The stage was set for what Gerring promised “…simple strung movements, initially of hands and arms, transposing my ideas to a sequence of images.” One by one the dancers would enter, and true to her word, their fine movement did build to sequences. Simple shapes would fold and unfold to larger ones, a walk would change to a balance, legs would begin in one place and circle around to another, all matched by a sound score of a crash, scraping, water, thunder—glaciers? The dancers were exquisite, for instance, at one point when three male dancers shift seamlessly from one movement to another, there was no option but to be caught in their meditation, or conversely be drawn into the momentum of the women when they propel themselves into the space running and smiling. Admittedly it was sometimes hard to stay focused when movements repeated or the score lulled, but then again glaciers do move ever so slowly. Kudos to composer Michael J. Schumacher, production designer Robert Wierzel and the beautiful movers: Benjamin Asriel, Brandon Collwes, Tony Neidenbach, Adele Nickel, Brandin Steffensen, Jake Szcypek, Jessica Weiss and Claire Westby.
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