Gibney Firm: Bringing to life the works earlier than them

The Joyce Theater, New York, NY.
Could 7, 2024.

The Gibney Firm carried out a six-day season on the Joyce Theater in early Could. This well-funded, reinvented, repertory firm confirmed 4 works from three choreographers: Twyla Tharp, Yue Yin, and Jermaine Spivey & Spenser Theberge. In operation since 1991, the corporate perviously primarily showcased choreography by Gina Gibney, however in early 2020 (because of a big money donation), underwent a drastic reimagining and was reborn as a strict repertory firm.

This system opened with Twyla Tharp’s Bach Duet, with a dwell five-person musical accompaniment. At solely six minutes lengthy, the inclusion of the musicians clearly confirmed how correct funding elevates dance. Sharing the stage with the 2 dancers, the consequence was a richer efficiency with the musicians dwell verses a recording. The dancers executed the work nicely, however when in comparison with movies of the unique, one can inform how a lot fashionable affect made its method into the efficiency. It was clear that within the 50 years that handed for the reason that unique work premiered, fashionable/modern dance has developed a larger sense of readability and depth of weight.

One good flip deserves one other, as a second Tharp piece follows the primary. The Fugue, choreographed in 1970, is an experiment in a 20-count theme with 20 variations. For 3 dancers, every represents musical registers of soprano, alto and bass. Nevertheless, there isn’t any musical accompaniment past the rhythm of the dancers’ toes on the stage, amplified by each their footwear and audio decide ups. Like Bach Duet, it’s danced with a 2024 tone, as every thing have to be by the very nature of evolution, however the essence of the work dominated the efficiency. One might virtually see the mathematical construction, and most actually really feel its natural logic.

A Measurable Existence by Yue Yin got here subsequent and transported the viewers to a fluid world of rigidity and launch, each choreographically and with the connection between the 2 dancers onstage. The motion, fluid however deeply intentional and highly effective, grew to become trancelike. The lights had been daring, virtually as if a 3rd character and created a panorama that echoed the highly effective qualities of the motion.

Lastly, we now have Stays, by Jermaine Spivey & Spencer Theberge, a 30-minute work based mostly in improvisation. The dancers used vocalizations and referred to as out numbers which indicated a sure course of choreography, theoretically permitting for the work for be totally different every time it was carried out. Fascinating to contemplate, the repetitive phrases the dancers spoke grew to become grating over time, though the motion consequence was pleasing.

General, the artists in Gibney Firm are expert and danced nicely. A recent repertory firm is much less widespread nowadays, and it’s good to see a program with a number of choreographers represented. Regardless of the reimagining through the years, the corporate stays apt at bringing to life the works earlier than them, and with an authenticity that fosters a nice viewers expertise.