DANCE REVIEW : Independent Choreographers Blend Creatively

SAN DIEGO —  The “When Choices Count” dance concert at Sushi last weekend was a marriage of convenience.

Pamela Turner, Cate Bell, and James Kelly have nothing in common as dance makers, except a respect for one another’s work. Their diversity in style and content kept the three portions of the program from melding into any sort of cohesive whole.

Yet, without this misalliance, the three independent choreographers might still be working on the fringe of local dance--without a concert audience to sample their wares. And that would have been the community’s loss indeed, because as the program revealed, there’s a lot of worthwhile work being done outside of the mainstream.

Turner’s “Choices,” gave the program its most theatrical thrust. Bell’s arithmetic abstractions for “What Number Were You Expecting?” focused on the intricacies of modern dance. Kelly’s hard-driving work, “Ensenada Madness,” turned on the juice in a dance equivalent of heavy-metal music.

The program got off to a late start Saturday night while stage hands added extra chairs in the stage area to accommodate the overflow crowd--wreaking havoc with the already poor sight lines at Sushi. There were other unprofessional touches that marred the program, including problems with the sound system (and the tapes), and missed light cues.

But the work on stage was a tribute to the creativity and craftsmanship currently being generated in San Diego--even among the scattered number of unaffiliated choreographers. The dancing never fell short of professional level, although only a few of the performers have ever appeared on the San Diego concert stage before.

Since the concert was Turner’s brainchild, the director of the now-defunct Lamb’s Players Dance Company had the lion’s share of the program. She used it wisely to premiere a riveting theater dance she calls “Choices.”

“Choices” was a seething study in psychological upheaval--a dance with strong theatrical underpinnings--and Turner found a pair of excellent actors to interpret the dramatic roles. The dance really falls under the umbrella of performance art, but whatever you call it, it’s a powerful piece.

The melodrama began with a couple (lost in the euphoric state of love) vowing to each other, “We’ll always be happy . . . a dream come true.” While the actors spoke their trite lines, another couple expressed the same sentiments in deep, visceral moves. Are they the “other” couple or just an alter ego?

The promises are repeated, but the message soon changes to one of cynicism when the love nest is invaded by temptation. And so it goes as one choice after the other brings its bitter consequences.

The dramatic foursome, danced to a striking original score by Mary Kidd, took everyone--audience and performers alike--on an emotional roller coaster ride. Making decisions can be difficult, but in Turner’s vision, some choices are devastating. No new psychological insights in this dance drama, and the ending is a bit too pat, but “Choices” is certainly a major new work.

Rick Meads (star of the Lamb’s Players’ recent production of “Joseph and His Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”) and Veronica Murphy Smith (another Lamb’s veteran) were magnificent as the couple under siege. Dancers Tonnie Haig (of Jazz Unlimited) and Greg Adams (a welcome newcomer) mirrored the emotions in dance, while Kidd’s computer-based music underscored the emotional turmoil.

“Choices” required--and deserved--more technical support than Sushi’s no-frills studio could supply. It should be revived when the proper production values are available.

Bell’s suite of dances, “What Number Were You Expecting?” patterned in tandem with the percussive bursts of David van Tieghem’s music, hinted at human relationships as well. But in Bell’s choreographic interactions, the movements were coolly abstracted--a far cry from the emotion-charged images of “Choices.”

The choreographer had planned to include a solo section for herself in “What Number Were You Expecting?” but it never appeared on the program, and there was an unfinished look to the piece. However, despite a score that grew repetitious and tedious, a scratchy tape that made the music sound even more grating than it should, and uninspired costumes, the calculating dance showed plenty of promise.