Dance performance appeals to more than just the eyes

TAMPA

Bill T. Jones is often described as a "political" choreographer. The label is both accurate and inadequate.

There's certainly a political subtext to Serenade/The Proposition, the work Jones has recently reconstructed with dancers and actors from the University of South Florida. But to think of it as merely political is to overlook the broader sociological implications.

It's a significant honor that Jones, one of the country's most important choreographers, has set this work on USF student dancers. It's the first time Jones has allowed any other company to perform one of his full-length works.

And the USF dancers did more than re-create movements. The work starts with actors re-creating a conversation about culture, race and history.

Their comments shape the tone and ideas that the rest of the performance evokes. The ideas fly past quickly, but among the most intriguing is a uniquely American paradox: Our country celebrates the individual and eschews the idea of "community," but its heroes are people who sacrifice themselves for their country.

Jones created Serenade/The Proposition as part of a tribute to Abraham Lincoln. Some of the most powerful words come from a speech Abraham Lincoln delivered in 1859, but without looking at a program, you wouldn't know he was the speaker.

The work does summon the Civil War era, though, through speeches from the period, semi-abstract historical allusions penned by Jones and a haunting rendition of The Battle Hymn of the Republic, including recitations of its powerful but lesser-known verses.

It's a dance work designed to provoke conversation rather than introspection, and succeeds on that level.

For the modern dance aficionado, though, the lasting impact comes from the beauty of the dance itself and the nearly flawless performances by the student cast.

The performance gets immeasurable help from lovely costumes and a gorgeous, monochromatic set that consists mostly of Doric columns and projected images of Civil War-era photographs.

The dance itself is so lovely that at times the text can feel like a distraction. But Jones is at least as interested in provoking ideas as he is in creating beauty for its own sake. Along with the dancers and actors from USF, he does both effectively.

Marty Clear is a Tampa freelance writer who specializes in performing arts. He can be reached at mclear@tampabay.rr.com.