Philadelphia’s premiere contemporary dance company, PHILADANCO, blew away the audience with their fall program, aptly titled Risky Business. The legendary dance troupe, helmed by Joan Myers Brown, celebrates their 45th anniversary this season. In addition to fan favorites including Ray Mercer’s “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” and Eliza Monte’s “White Dragon,” this weekend, PHILADANCO debuted Christopher Huggins’ exhilarating choreographic work, “Latched,” at the Kimmel Center.
The ensemble worked overtime, as 14 dancers compensated for what Myers Brown revealed to us is typically a 16-dancer show. Despite the phenomenal athleticism and virtuosity displayed, the performers barely seemed to break a sweat. The stamina, strength and flexibility demonstrated was nothing short of otherworldly. In Daniel Ezra’s “Pulse”, the company ran out from the wings, sliding elegantly across the stage, their movements controlled only by gravity and molecules. In “White Dragon”, the ensemble matches the intensity of Glenn Branca’s aggressive score with rhythmically jarring Afro-Caribbean inspired choreography.
“Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” was undoubtedly the audience favorite, featuring a series of vignettes around, under and atop of a 5-foot high dinner table, showcasing phenomenal solo and ensemble work. The evening culminated in the world premiere of “Latched”, during which the dancers intertwined, broke free and became entangled again in a series of breathtaking pas de deux and floorwork choreography.
If you aren’t well versed in Philadelphia’s modern dance companies, PHILADANCO is one group you won’t want to miss. Their style is a combination of contemporary ballet and high-risk modern dance. Myers Brown mentions that the dancers selected to perform in her elite troupe possess a certain “magic” – you can’t look away from them once they take the stage. “And, as you can see,” she said proudly, “PHILADANCO dancers can do anything;” a statement to which audience members can confirm.
After embarking on a European tour with their James Brown project, PHILADANCO will return to Philadelphia in the spring for their 45th anniversary concert. “Having Our Say” will celebrate the contributions of female choreographers exclusively, and is scheduled to take place April 17-19. To learn more about PHILADANCO, visit their website and follow the company along on Facebook and Twitter.
