In one room, Piotr Tchaikovsky, Duke Ellington and John Adams make quite the party, and in "Triple Play," dancers performed brilliantly to each of these composers' works.
What was surprising was that three very different dances still formed a cohesive experience for the audience. And it was that, in part, that made the show a success. The grace, the heat and the excitement were all part of one overarching emotional journey. Triple the dances in this case definitely meant triple the fun.
The choreography of the Boston Conservatory Dance Ensemble's Feb. 18 production was striking. The order of the show contributed, in part, to the unification of the progression of eras the dance and music portrayed. The performance began with the classical period, a ballet set to Tchaikovsky's Trio in A Minor. The second segment of the show switched to dancing to excerpts from Duke Ellington's "Far East Suite" and "Latin American Suite." Finally, a modern dance to John Adams' "Hallelujah Junction" made for a fitting conclusion.
The audience embarked on a journey through time, movement and emotion, beginning with classical dance and music. The effect that the dancers created was very aesthetically pleasing. Hues of blue, pink and purple were prevalent onstage. There was a continual sense of grace and fluidity in movements at all times, as women were lifted into the air or smoothly flipped over their partners' shoulders. Dancers also took advantage of the fact that the Trio in A Minor is divided into a theme and 11 variations. Because each of the variations had its own feel, each had a "mini-plot" that was portrayed through dance. Every one of the 11 seemed to have a beginning, middle and end to a story. Some were romantic, some were desperate and others were funny and lighthearted. Beautiful choreography, dancing, costumes, music and lighting characterized the first third of the performance.
Then the show changed gears. Besides seeing a familiar face or two in dancers who had shed their leotards and who now bore tight hot-red and black outfits, a single element traversed the different styles of dance. This unifying element can be accredited to the choreography. In both the first and second dance, the dynamic created between the sexes was fully exploited. A certain effect was produced when only women or men were on stage, or when the boys started to mingle with the girls. Some dances were all male — almost "West Side Story"-esque in their method — while others with pairs were very sexually intensified and some that featured solo dancers were more introspective. Each of these "sub-dances" had its own unique mood.
A little disappointing in the jazz dance was the lack of dramatic investment among the performers. However, one performer in particular carried out the Latin-influenced jazz dance with a spark and a smile. Sometimes it seemed like she was flirting with the audience. Her movements and facial expressions had such energy that I could not help but sit back, relax and have fun with her. The other dancers would have done well to follow her example and, simply put, to have more fun on stage. Despite this minor flaw, the jazz dancing was still fun, hot and spicy.
Finally, as the time-traveling dance moved to the present, the modern world was accented with faded jeans and plain colored shirts. With plenty of interesting choreography, this was quite a sight to see.
It is worth mentioning, too, that all of the music in the production was live and performed by conservatory students. The musicians' performances, as well as the dancers', were certainly commendable.
