Manuel Valdes

DK explores shifting relationships, past and future

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By John Lyle Belden

The power and high quality of Dance Kaleidoscope continues in artistic director Joshua Blake Carter’s second season, starting 2025 with a bold program, “Nothing is forever, darling,” at the Schott Center for the Arts on the campus of Butler University on Indy’s near-northside.

In Carter’s choreography, we encounter a wide variety of style and emotion in company premiere works. The title piece is performed to a set of songs by Rufus Wainwright, whose unique voice is a vital aspect of the atmosphere. This soundscape is given life by the movement of the dancers ranging from carefree (“Movies of Myself”) to melancholy (“Leaving for Paris”) and back again.

In “Fever Dream”, mortality and intimacy meet, choreographed by Sean Aaron Carmon to the music of Iron and Wine. In minimal, flesh-toned costumes, dancers Cody Miley and Sarah Taylor perform a stunning “nude” pas de deux.

With “Take A Gambol” the company has fun with a 60s jazz style in hip black suits and – in a first for DK – shoes! Originally created by Carter for a Chicago company in 2018, this piece includes music by Maynard Ferguson and Perry Como. Think “Fosse meets Rat Pack” for a hint at what it’s like.

For the intense second act, Carter presents the world premiere of “Shaker Loops,” with his choreography to the 1978 work of that name by composer John Adams. This could be looking to the past, inspired by sound-recording methods of its era with costuming a nod to a now-vanished religious sect, but its electronic sound, frenetic tension-building movement and stark lighting (designed by Laura E. Glover) gives a sort of sci-fi vibe. The result is a fascinating and sensual experience with dancers in perfect command of their bodies.

Along with Miley and Taylor, performers were Jonathan Cubides, Ryan Galloway, Ryan Jaffe, Courtney Jefferies, Marie Kuhns, Vivian Mickels, Natalie Nagy, Morgan Ranney, Nathan Rommel, Julie Russel, Manuel Valdes, and Zay.

This program had a single weekend, Jan. 17-19. Upcoming performances by Dance Kaleidoscope include the world premiere of “Emerge” by DK’s Jaffee & Hall Emerging Choreographer Award Winner, Tsai Hsi Hung, on March 14-16, and “Under the Covers,” featuring dance by Carter and Autumn Eckman to songs by familiar artists including Billie Eilish and Brandi Carlile, May 30-June 1. Both of these will be at The Toby at Newfields. For information and tickets, see www.dancekal.org.

IndyFringe: Dance Kaleidoscope ‘Make ’em Laugh Workshop’

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This show is part of the 14th Annual Indianapolis Theatre Fringe Festival, a/k/a IndyFringe, Aug. 16-26, 2018 on Mass Ave downtown. Info, etc., at www.IndyFringe.org.

By John Lyle Belden

Local fine arts legend and Dance Kaleidoscope artistic director David Hochoy once again gives his professional company a chance to take some risk and be creative, developing original dance routines for this Fringe revue. He had just one request — a tough one for serious dancers — Make ’em laugh!

Company members Brandon Comer, Manuel Valdes, Paige Robinson, Stuart Coleman, Missy Thompson, Timothy June, Jillian Godwin, and Mariel Greenlee knock it out of the park with their choreography (or would a better metaphor be “hilariously slip on a banana peel while rounding the bases”?). They each appear before their piece to give their concept, admirable on its own as they should be breathless from working each others’ dances.

They get off to a rollicking start with an energetic and saucy routine to a song from the musical “Cabaret.” As the dancers exited the stage, Wendy muttered, “Follow that!” Well, they did — again and again.

The next piece — celebrating children at “Recess” — had as much whimsy as humor. Other works have fun with topics including the high school prom, ghosts, the hassles of dancing to serious jazz, waiting in line, and even a humorous take on the occupant of the White House (with music by Randy Rainbow).

One number, June’s “Naptown Misfits,” shows the high degree of skill necessary to dance “badly” — which they do to hilarious effect.

One performance remains, 4:30 p.m. today (Saturday, Aug. 25) at the District Theatre (formerly Theatre on the Square), 627 Mass Ave. And as I’ve often said, where else are you gonna see a Dance K show for only $15?