STRUCK - Globe & Mail

STRUCK - Globe & Mail - March 2008

A work of mystery and beauty.

Written by Paula Citron
The Globe and Mail
March 8th, page R11

Struck is Brent Lott's first full-length work since taking over Winnipeg's Contemporary Dancers as artistic director in 2005. Full-length in dance terms is about 60 minutes, but it can seem endless if the choreography can't sustain interest. Lott has come up with an ambitious piece that, for the most part, is a credit to him and his talented dancers.

The work's physical and aural environment here manipulate the audience's response to the choreography. Lott's collaboration with artist Calvin Yarush swathes the stage in panels of translucent white drapery surrounding a white floor, creating a mysterious empty canvas waiting for the dancers to appear.

Yarush has also transformed the studio mirrors into black-and-white scenes of naked tree branches set against a moody sky. On one side of the stage, the draperies are placed away from the wall to create a separate enclosure behind.

Shortly after the piece begins, the back drapes are pulled away to reveal the slowly turning shell of a boat vertically dangling from the ceiling. This upturned vessel seems to symbolize loss, or even death.

Another collaborator is composer/singer Christine Fellows, who has given Lott an evocative cinematic score of infinite variety, from Chinese-sounding chords to Middle Eastern rhythms. There are also edgy sections of music that drive with relentless force, interpolated by quiet passages of melodic beauty.

Mention should also be made of Dean Cowieson's lighting and Norma Lachance's costumes. The former plays a significant role in the dance by creating squares and shafts of light that seem to lure the dancers to them. The costumes are attractive pearl-grey diaphanous variations on tunics, skirts and leggings for the five women and one man who comprise the cast, fitting neatly into the vague and amorphous feeling of Yarush's set.

Lott's choreography rises to the excellent level of the production values. He likes big swooping movements that cover the space, whether executed through the air or horizontally on the floor. Arms swept in a wide arc are another signature, as are fast turns and graceful bends.

The theme is that, at every moment, a dancer (or dancers) is struck by something from the past. They live in a world of memory, and each solo or ensemble seems to be the physical representation of a mind whirling in thought. At times the dancers just watch each other, either from the main space or the draped-off enclosure, but we know their minds are completely engaged in remembering.

The dancers execute the steps with passion and vigour. Sarah Roche seems to be the prime mover, engaging the others in dangerous and sometimes sexual games. Johanna Riley is the conciliator, nurturing and compassionate. Lise McMillan creates the image of a loner through various angst-filled solos.

Natasha Torres-Garner is the follower, the one who is most easily manipulated. The lone male, Brendan Wyatt, represents the lover who is at times aggressive, at others sympathetic.

I do have a cavil, however. Lott's lyrical movement is so pervasive as to give the dance more of a sameness than he intends. I would like to see stronger definition within his signature vocabulary.

For example, McMillan's moments are very compelling because they exhibit an edge that is different from the other more dreamy encounters.

That being said, in Struck, Lott has created a piece of shimmering beauty. Through the shifting alignment of dancers, the audience can read moments in a life's journey that are either harrowing or blissful.