The idea was to showcase the best of the best from the choreographers that inspire them the most. And while Baryshnikov is a founder of the project and the name that draws people in, the focus of White Oak is the ensemble.
At Taipei's National Dr Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, the White Oak Project will present four pieces from its current program titled "PASTForward," which draws inspiration from the epochal Judson Dance Theater of the 1960s, which was a center for a group of dancers, filmmakers and theater directors who pioneered postmodern dance.
Two of the works into this weekend's performances, Concerto by Lucinda Childs and For the Love of Rehearsal by David Gordon, are by choreographers who were instrumental in the Judson Dance Theaters. The other two pieces, The Argument, and Pecadillos are by White Oak Project co-founder Morris.
Childs is known for her pared-down choreography with severe, geometric designs and the focus on the relationship between the dancers. Concerto, features all seven dancers in the project and is one of the more accessible of Child's pieces. The dancers in the piece not only move to the music, they seem to become the music.
David Gordon's For The Love of Rehearsal is a reflection of dance both on-stage and off. Set to Johann Sebastian Bach's Six Preludes from the Cello Suites, Gordon aims to remove the barriers between what the audience sees on stage and what is usually hidden by the proscenium and side curtains of a stage. Instead of entering or leaving the stage to mark the beginning and end of each section, the dancers simply stop, walk around, or remove a piece of their costume.
The two pieces by Mark Morris both feature Baryshnikov. The Argument, is a pas de deux in which Baryshnikov's partner is another alumni of New York City Ballet, Emily Coates. Pecadillos is a solo. With Morris, the essential thing to remember is to expect the unexpected.
One bonus of the White Oak Project's performances is that the music is not a playback recording. The dancers will be accompanied by pianist Pedja Muzijevic and cellist Alberto Parrini, who will hopefully prove to be a blessing and not a distraction, despite the hall's notoriously poor acoustics.
What The White Oak Dance Project
When National Dr Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall
Where Tonight, tomorrow and Sunday, Feb.23 - Feb.25 at 7:30pm
Tickets NT$600,NT$800,NT$1,000,NT$1,200,NT$2,000,NT$2,500,NT$3,000
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