By John Lyle Belden
It’s said that history doesn’t repeat but it rhymes, and this tune can go all the way back to 1692.
Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre presented the premiere of new work, “Salem,” during its fall performances, Oct. 23-24 at The Tarkington in the Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel. The show was a mix of old and new works, performed by both familiar and new dancers.
This is part of an active season that includes the Mélange series, in which dancers and visual artists improvise their works with a vocalist with whom they have not rehearsed. The next such event features singer Tessa Gibbons, dancers Daphne Anastasia Koziura and Benjamin Balistreri, and artist Susan Mauck on Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 14-15, at The Florence at The Academy of GHDT, 329 Gradle Dr., Carmel. In December, the full company performs “Winterfest” – a celebration of the season’s various holidays – at The Florence, starting Dec. 5.
“Salem,” with choreography and costumes by Gregory Glade Hancock and original music by Seager, is set in a prison during a dystopian future in which conformity is enforced and rumors of freethinking “witchcraft” are ruthlessly pursued. The look and style suggest the fanaticism of “1984” with the costumes and high-stakes action even hinting at “Squid Game.” Hancock’s flowing, fascinating storytelling in movement is accentuated by 18 rope nooses (nearly as many as were hanged years ago in Massachusetts Colony) slowly descending over the dancers. These elements combine for an intense experience.
Company dancers were Nathalie Boyle, Caelen Gibbs, McCaleb Hanks, Isaac Jones, Sophie Jones, Kaci King, Abigail Lessaris, Vivien Mickels, Josie Moody, Darcy Mraz, Olivia Payton, and Audrey Springer, joined by Indianapolis Ballet trainees Alyssia Brown, Eden Casimiro, Faith Cordero, Alyssa Ekstrom, Lily Han, Kyla Hayashi, and Adrianna McCarter.
The program also premiered “Ophelia,” a solo tour de force for GHDT assistant director Lessaris. Designed by Hancock, with music by Cory Gabel arranged by Heather King, this work was inspired by the tragic character from Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” presenting in fascinating, flawless dance her perspective of betrayal and growing madness.
Two past works were also revived. The Latin American tragic legend of “La Llorona” featured Springer as Maria, the title character, with the full company – including Hanks as her husband and Mickels as her rival – and Valerie Bussell and Vivien Maresh as the lost children. Later, the biblical story of “Salome” was brought to life with Sophie Jones in the title role, Gibbs as John the Baptist, Isaac Jones as Herod Antipas, and Payton as Herodius.
All dances featured excellent lighting design by Ryan Kharchik.
The Mélange series has a fun anything-can-happen atmosphere, For example, while the performances usually feature a vocalist, in September the music was provided by violinist Noelle Tretick Gosling whose instrumental works in various styles allowed for some improvisation of her own, playing with the movement of Nathalie Boyle while visual artist Xavier Gray made colorful presentation of keywords inspired not only by what he saw but also the fact that the performance/rehearsal space is surrounded by hidden inspirational quotes (not visible to the public).
The November 14-15 Mélange features guest dancers, ballroom professionals Koziura and Balistreri, as the competitors become improvisors to the vocals of Tessa Gibbons, who has been a featured singer with GHDT’s “The Casket Girls” and “La Casa Azul.” All this will inspire artist Susan Mauck, who prefers to make portraits and human figures in a style she describes as “impressionistic with a contemporary edge.” Her creation at each performance will be immediately actioned to someone in the audience with all proceeds going to GHDT programs.
For information and tickets, visit gregoryhancockdancetheatre.org.
