Burnt Sugar/DANZ at BAC

Last evening, Summer Stages Dance/Baryshnikov Arts Center Artist Residency participants Greg Tate (music) with Germaul Barnes and Gabri Christa (dance) presented an invitation-only, informal showing of their improvisatory Burnt Sugar/DANZ project. In a music/movement jam called La Celestina, the trio continued earlier explorations of this question:

Why can't choreographers come together and create spontaneous new ensemble work the way musicians do?

Of course, they can. Of course, they did.

And given that most of the dance artists involved last night have sizzling dance skills and presence, that sugar was burning. Conductor Tate's ensemble--which included vocals by Latasha Diggs and Somi--hit some sweet spots at times, too. But the evening belonged to extraordinary, imaginative movers like Barnes and Christa and like Daniel Gwirtzman, Kyle Abraham, Ayo Jackson, Catherine Cabeen, Nejla Yatkin and Christian von Howard, who know how to get a groove going or take full advantage of whatever's already happening on the floor.

As in any improvisation, sometimes you hit it, sometimes you don't. But, in Burnt Sugar/DANZ, the entirety is fun, stimulating and a welcome experience of some exceptional performers exercising their creativity on the spot. So, if you hear of other chances to witness this project, jump right in!

burnt sugar...danz

some sugar

some solid pliability 

energetic calligraphy

hive gathers gestures 

sparrows call spasm

family movements

determined undetermination 

conducted spheres of action 

baton for music baton for dance 

mass of singularity

scampering steady chime 

dignified hectic traffic

(c)2010, Eva Yaa Asantewaa

Summer Stages Dance

Baryshnikov Arts Center