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Performance

Performance image Performance image
Parent Issue
Day
15
Month
July
Year
1976
OCR Text

Dance enthusiasts, music lovers, theatre-goers, and loyal Detroiters of all ages were treated to a special set of performances by the Harbinger Dance Company at the Institute of Arts Auditorium May 26 and 27. Besides being the company's bi-centennial salute to the city of Detroit and its people, the Gala Spring Concerts celebrated the fifth year of Harbinger's hard work and dedication as a Detroit-based resident dance troupe.

The troupe opened the evening with a short but expressive piece set to music by J.S. Bach entitled "Three in G." Written by Harbinger's Theresa Kowall, it featured Theresa along with Lynn Crimando and Harbinger's assistant director Mitzi Carol in a well-timed and impressive warmup for the large production to follow.

Featuring a majority of the ten-member troupe "Ancient Mysteries" was choreographed by visiting master Patrick Crommet as a depiction of ancient life and death rituals. Ms. Kowall was at her peak as The Ancestress of the Cult. Sensuous, slithering, her body commanded The Chosen - Drucilla Cagnoni and Russ Cataldo - to perform her every desire.

Lisa Nowak, director and founder of Harbinger, displayed her choreographic talents in "Quadrant," a dance which the program described as "inspired by Paul Sartre's vision of hell as a living nightmare with no exit - even from awareness." The music, "Tibetian Bells." gave off an eerie, echoing effect and the dancers played a remarkably hypnotic number that literally placed one in a dream-like state of mind, broken only when the curtain fell.

Next carne a lively, whimsical crowd pleaser, "The Closer She Gets." lts three sections were each swiftly executed with mime-inspired movements and an interesting use of props: shopping carts. All three segments, depicting three aspects of the All American lifestyle, were danced to the music of none other than Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass.

Part one, called "Cruising," comically interpreted the great American pastime of "cruising the streets," checking out the scene. Part two, "Deli Plaza," dealt with the stereotyped "deal mate" selection process in which one is so influenced by the incessant commercialism of TV and other modern media. Part three was titled "Freeway," and the troupe successfully created the air of confusion experienced during rush hour traffic, complete with the frustrations and "freeway games" played by all of us from time to time.

The grand finale of the evening's performance was "Belle Isle Days," another artistic product of Lisa Nowak. Premiering at this birthday concert, the dance depicted several scenes typical to the beautiful park, all done to the music of pianist-composer Keith Jarrett. (It would be even more interesting to see this kind of thing done with music by Detroit composers, such as Yusef Lateef's "Belle Isle" or Lyman Woodard's "Belle Isle Daze.")

"Sunday" showed us a lazy afternoon of lounging in the sun, generally giving the feeling of serenity and peace of mind that belongs especially to Belle Isle. "That Red Dress" had a brief, amusing storyline in which Russ Cataldo displayed his acting talent as well as his strength and stamina as a dancer. "The Last Time" told the story of two lovers bidding farewell on the island where they originally had met and featured the very fine Margaret Cirocco and Christopher Barron. Finally, in "Beach Party," the entire troupe gathered onstage to create visions of summer get togethers which jam the island every weekend.

The show provided a first-class finish for Harbinger's current season, as well as one of the finest exhibitions of the entire dance season in Detroit. It was this reviewer's first encounter with The Harbinger Dance Company - but l'm certain t won 't be my last.