New ‘Moves’

For the next four weeks, La Mama’s three spaces will be
buzzing with dance activity so varied that no one would dare pin a stylistic
label on La Mama Moves!, the festival that is now in its sixth year. The sheer
scope and variety of the presentations confirms what Nicky Paraiso, the
co-curator, says: “We’ve always wanted the festival to follow the mission of La
Mama itself—to be as inclusive as possible.”

That’s an apt adjective for programming that ranges from
full-evening works to intimate solos, from students to veteran “dancing divas,”
from Hawaiian Hula masters to an array of contemporary Israeli choreographers.
There will be 37 premieres offered during the festival.

“In the first year, 2006, we had everything from
contemporary post-modern to burlesque, martial arts, cheerleaders, hip-hop,
Middle Eastern, Afro-Cuban, aerialists…” Paraiso recalls. “At the beginning, we
did try to do a lot. I wont say ‘too much,’ but we did a lot. We included many
choreographers who weren’t usually highlighted in other festivals, and also
genres and styles. But now we find that perhaps we do want to be a little bit
more selective, and give choreographers that we love a little more time. So
there are several more evening-length pieces this year.”

So while past festivals have mainly featured shared programs
offering a dizzying array of names, this time around, several choreographers
get to make a more extended statement. These evenings come in all sizes. Lance
Gries, a longtime dancer with Trisha Brown now based in Mexico, returns to New
York for the first time in 10 years to perform Etudes for an Astronaut, a 50-minute solo (June 3 & 4). Jenny
Rocha’s Mandorla (May 26 & 27) is
a multimedia performance that sends a cast of 14 into action to satirize “the
tension between art and money.” Also operating on a grand scale is Austin
McCormick, whose intriguing, often literary-based projects have mainly been
seen in his own Brooklyn Space. His Dénouement:
A Murderous Masquerade (June 4 & 5) blends dance, spoken word, music
and media to portray a decadent society in which murder is considered an escape
from ennui.

Heidi Latsky’s latest project caught Paraiso’s eye when he
saw it as a work in progress, and now La Mama presents the premiere of The Gimp Project: IF, performed by
members of her company alongside performers with physical challenges, plus
guest artists (June 16–18). Another premiere is A.O. Movement Collective’s barrish (May 27 & 28). Choreographed
by Sarah Rosner, this work for five women explores emotional and physical
extremism.

Dancing Divas has become a festival mainstay, and this
year’s installment (May 28 & 29) includes Patricia Hoffbauer, Risa
Jarowlow, Mary Seidman, Peggy Choy and an Yvonne Rainer piece performed by
Hoffbauer and Sally Silvers. Paraiso and co-curator Mia Yoo have added
something new this year: Israel/New York, six performances (June 8–12) of
shared programs that constitute a mini-festival within the larger event. Yoo
notes that La Mama has a long history of presenting Israeli artists, and that
the late founder/director Ellen Stewart once launched La Mama Tel Aviv. The
Israel/New York programs include several Israeli choreographers whose work has
not been seen in New York, alongside works by Israeli choreographers (Netta
Yerushalmy, Deganit Shemy, LeeSaar) based in NYC.

Another mini-festival is Intricate Intimacies, which focuses
on solos, duets and trios. These eight performances (June 9–12, 16–19) are a
truly mixed bag. Among the many names on the roster are Jon Kinzel, Judith
Sanchez Ruiz, Arturo Vidich, Daniel Gwirtzman and Abdur-Rahim Jackson of the
Alvin Ailey company. Making a return to performing is Stanford Makishi, until
recently the artistic director of Baryshnikov Arts Center and prior to that a
dancer with Trisha Brown, who will perform a duet with Brandi Morton. “Stanford
was a little hesitant at first, but I kept coaxing him and said, ‘You’ve got to
dance again,’” Paraiso says.

La Mama Moves! offers programs by two very different types
of student dancers from neighboring institutions: the youngsters of the East
Village Dance Project, and the senior class of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts
Dance Program. As Yoo says, “These are two younger generations of dancers
coming up in our community; we want to give them a place where they can present
their work. It’s been important for us to have that younger component in the
festival.

“In general, I feel the focus of the programming here at La
Mama—whether it’s the dance festival or throughout the regular season—is our
dedication to the artist. We’re hoping to expand people’s ideas and notions of
what dance and movement can be.”

La Mama Moves!

May 24–June 21, times and locations vary. For information,
visit www.lamama.org.