Review

Dancing to the beats of different drummers

TAMPA - Modern dance has never attracted huge audiences here. A recent performance by the legendary Merce Cunningham Dance Company drew only a few hundred people. A few years back, Mark Morris, widely considered the world's best choreographer, attracted only about 100 or so.

But two local modern dance concerts this weekend demonstrated that, from an artistic standpoint, the form is certainly alive in Tampa. Whether you consider it alive and well depends on which concert you chose.

Tampa's two best-known independent dance organizations, Acanthus and Moving Current, offered performances that were a study in contrasts.

Acanthus is devoted to the mainstream. Moving Current aims for more adventurous fare, especially in its annual "New Grounds" concerts.

Acanthus, headed by choreographer Richard Ploch, staged a lackluster concert called "Contemporary to Classical" Thursday and Friday at the Hillsborough Community College Performing Arts Building. Just about everything - from bland costumes, indifferent lighting and tinny sound system to the inconsistent performances and unspirited choreography - worked to keep the evening from having any emotional impact.

Despite the title, "Contemporary to Classical" was devoted almost exclusively to recent works by Ploch. There was only one ballet piece, the sole non-Ploch work, and it was unexceptional, almost corny.

There were some fine individual performances, and some strong moments of choreography. Ploch's best work came in The I.S. Files, a series of dances set to Stravinsky music, which took up the second act.

But there was neither communication nor energy between the dancers. Combined with the sameness of Ploch's work, it made for an evening devoid of power or passion.

Moving Current calls itself a collective, and draws from a range of choreographers and dancers. For its annual New Grounds concerts, Moving Current invites choreographers to submit new works with an eye toward the avant garde.

This year's New Grounds concert, Friday and Saturday at the University of South Florida's Theatre I, presented works by local choreographers, and by others from as far away as South America.

The program consisted of eight modern but disparate works. What they shared were charismatic performances, and a palpable sense of the joy of modern dance.

The concert started with a sensual aerial dance created and performed by Tampa's Kimberly Kieffer and Tucson's Nathan Dryden. The choreography may not have been especially adventurous, but fluid and charismatic performances set the tone for the entire evening.

Tallahassee choreographer Leymis J. Bolanos created One Breath, a stark and striking pas de deux performed entirely in a small circle of light on the blackened stage.

New York's Peter Kalivas started the second act with Bitter Suite, a hectic piece for 16 dancers set to songs by Meshell Ndegeocello. The long piece featured some of the evening's best moments, but awkward use of music muted the overall effect.

The variety of styles, music and moods ensured that no one in the audience would fall in love with each piece. But postconcert conversations indicated that each piece spoke to someone in the house.

Much of the credit goes to lighting designer Paul Denayer, who created beautiful and evocative effects throughout the evening.

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