Dancers weave 'Tangled Web'

"TANGLED WEB," RIRIE-WOODBURY DANCE COMPANY, Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, March 13, continuing March 14 and 15, 7:30 p.m. (355-2787).

It was nice to meet you Charlotte Boye-Christensen.

The Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company introduced you to Utah audiences Thursday night during "Tangled Web," a collection of your most cherished works. You are a very interesting choreographer. Your style is sharp, lyrical and precise.

From the opening energetic shuffle number, "Stirrings," to the closing work-in-progress, "A Voice that Was Once in Your Mouth," the audience was held captive in the spell of your movement. Your solo "The Room" utilizes the evocative Alberto Ginastera score, and feeds off surrealist tones with emotional and angst-ridden twists and turns that knot and stretch your body.

Although "The Finish Line" wasn't as crisp as it could have been on Thursday, it was still a bright work that examines physical parallels between dance and sports. Your sense of humor and sense of social commentary highlight "The Visit," a quirky work inspired by the painting "Woman Leaving the Psychoanalyst," by Remedios Varo.

The audience especially liked the way you use the Ririe-Woodbury Dancers in transitional variations that depict a somewhat neurotic therapy session.

One of your more provocative works is your duet with former Repertory Dance Theatre member Rebecca Keene-Forde. Yes, "Sisters of the Head" is abstract and innovative because you add another dancing surface -- a wall. It nice to see you revisit this work after its premiere three years ago.

What the audience liked about "Siesta," your ode to sculptor Giacometti, was the tight synchronization between the three dancers - - Ai Fujii, Jamie Hall and Melissa McDonald.

The three women are of different size and stature, but are totally in tune with each other when it comes to execution and presentation.

It will be interesting to see what new things will be added on to "A Voice that Was Once in Your Mouth." Thursday's rendition gave new insight to how music and lighting could affect the feel of the work.

So, Charlotte Boye-Christensen -- now that you have been named RW's associate artistic director, what will we see you do next?

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