Dance fever A group hug at Waterplace Park By Johnette Rodriguez

A little over three years ago, in one of those creative collaborations that often occur in this small state, the coordinator for a WaterFire Providence event asked several Rhode Island dance companies or choreographers to present short pieces. On the Corner of Art and Vine (the latter a nod to the sponsors, Martignetti Companies) was such a hit with audiences and dancers alike that it will return to Waterplace Park for the third time this Saturday, September 6 at 7:20 p.m. On the 2003 roster are eight companies and choreographers, with new dances, seasoned pieces, or short sections of a complete work.

Colleen Cavanaugh, who has choreographed for many companies and dancers in Rhode Island, including her own now-dissolved Cadence Dance Project, has often found herself drawn to heavy topics, such as teen pregnancy, breast cancer, or domestic abuse — her day job, after all, is as an ob/gyn. But for a short duet called "The Caress," she was "purely inspired by the music," the adagio from Mozart’s Piano Concerto #23: "There’s no heavy intention behind it — "it’s neoclassical, on pointe, playing with phrasing and the music itself," she says. It will be danced by Letitia Guerrero and Eivar Martinez, both company members at Festival Ballet Providence.

Dance Planet’s piece, "Slide," which combines hip-hop and MTV-style dancing, according to its creator Derek Perry, also draws on the energy of the music, in this case pop tunes from singers like Christine Aguilera and Justin Timberlake. With eight dancers, most of whom have been with Dance Planet since its formation four years ago, "Slide" will be a preview of a full-length piece to be presented at the Carriage House September 16-21.

Dance Planet grew out of eight students who met each other at Rhode Island College and choreographed a piece for the spring dance concert there. Since that time, they’ve performed at nightclubs in Providence, Boston and New York. Perry is moving to LA in October to try for a larger career in dance, so catch Dance Planet in Rhode Island while you can.

Island Moving Co. will present a portion of "Surrender," a new work by artistic director/choreographer Miki Ohlsen. This was a popular piece at Island’s summer concerts in Newport and will be performed again in its entirety at Rhode Island College on October 30, with a kinetic light sculpture by Bob Kieronski accompanying it. Rolando Troconis and Danielle Genest will perform the duet that ends the dance, to choral music by Gustav Mahler.

"Though the piece starts out full-tilt, with a frenetic, athletic energy," observed company director Dominique Alfandre, "Danielle emerges as a calm point, and as she and Rolando begin to dance, it’s as if she brings him into her state of mind. It’s a beautiful, flowing duet, not jagged and edgy like the opening."

Modern Populous, a new company headed up by Festival Ballet Providence dancer James Brown, will perform "Hard Times," set to bluegrass music from Yo Yo Ma, James Taylor, and Nickel Creek. Taking three sections from the seven that form the whole piece, the dancers (seven adults and five children) start off with "You Are My Sunshine."

"We all tend to sing it happy and bright," commented Brown, "but if you listen to the words, it’s dysfunctional. It’s about wanting someone a little too much, about being lonely and trying to connect with people and not knowing how. ‘Hard Times Come Again No More’ is about that human spirit to lift each other up, and ‘The Fox’ is about family and how you can all get along. So it ends upbeat and happy."

Another upbeat part of the evening will be dances from Providence Ballroom and Jazz (PB&J), a professional group that is performance-oriented. Six dancers, including choreographer/founder Nelia Lawton, will do nine packed minutes of ballroom and Latin dances to Broadway tunes. They are extracting this segment from a program called "All That Dance," which they presented at WaterFire in August.

Providence Ballet will be presenting a work by artistic director and choreographer Eva Marie Pacheco. "No Regrets," to the music of Edith Piaf, is a trio with Pacheco, Michael Bolger and David Lawrence. All three have danced most recently with Island Moving Co., and this work premiered at Island’s "Flight of Steps" program in July.

"I was looking at mature dancers and people who’ve been through a lot of different experiences," Pacheco reflected, "and at how what we’ve experienced in our lives has shaped us and made us what we are today. I wouldn’t be the person I am today if I hadn’t been through what I’ve been through."

The State Ballet of Rhode Island will perform an expanded version of "Ballet Ireland," choreographed by Ana Marsden Fox. Set to music from the score of Riverdance, this classical ballet piece takes on an Irish flair, even as it stays in the ballet tradition.

Fox noted that she was inspired by "the precision and the discipline and the patterns" in Riverdance, and she has tried to impose those on the structure of her piece, "from diamonds to diagonals to circular movements."

The catalyst for choreographer Angelica Vessella was Tracy Chapman’s song, "Give Me One Reason," also the title of the piece that she created for the Vessella Dance Project. They will present the second section of this piece, with six dancers and a soloist; the entire work will be shown in January at RIC.

"It’s about a woman finding her independence and realizing that she can walk away," Vessella related. "It’s also about getting older. Chapman sings that the picture makes a promise but that promise is broken — the mirror tells you the truth. It’s your choice to walk away from a situation or to stay, but if you stay, you choose with your whole heart to do that."

All of the choreographers appreciate the opportunity to present short pieces at Waterplace Park, without the investment of time and money into a full production. Pacheco particularly appreciates having a venue "to use my own pieces the way I want to." And everyone, dancers and choreographers alike, value the audience feedback. So be a part of that feedback and see some great dance in the bargain.