Posted by: Andrea Harris, Madison Arts Cooperative



“A choreographer is a very odd and useless thing to be. That the world makes room for it is, in itself, very eccentric. [But] dancing is integral to our existence.  There is an idealism threaded through dance that captures the highest quality of man’s abilities.”



That quote is by Lar Lubovitch, the prolific artist hailed “one of the world’s ten best choreographers” by the New York Times.  While Lubovitch may be right that the labor of dance-making dances doesn’t solve global warming or economic inequities, his repertory of more than 40 years and over 100 dances suggests a different theory: that dance supplies a source of beauty and inspiration in the world. Whether or not such work is necessary is not only a matter of personal taste, it must also be a historical question, as dance was part of human culture long before written languages, reading, civilization, and, well, history itself. 



Dancing is indeed the essential element in Lubovitch’s choreography.  Although he sometimes engages with socially-relevant themes—AIDS, the Russian tradition of arranged marriage, the lives of male dancers—Lubovitch’s work is consistently full of movement, often in close partnership with the music.  Critics seem unsure whether to label Lubovitch as “modern dance” or “modern ballet,” and dance companies of both persuasions, from Doug Varone to American Ballet Theatre, have commissioned his work.  (He’s also choreographed for several professional ice skaters including Peggy Fleming and Dorothy Hamill.)  Yet a persistent tug towards the classical elements of harmony, grace, and effortlessness exists in Lubovitch’s work, creating a kinetic impressionism built from sweeping, abundant movement phrases.  Lubovitch’s choreography, executed by his company of flawless dancers, creates the impression that time and space themselves are melting like butter, each moment and movement folding fluidly into the next.  As New York Times reviewer Roslyn Sulcas writes, this is a good concert to which to take your “dance-virgin friend”—one that operates in the realms of delightful and awe-inspiring rather than challenging, one that will set your heart dancing rather than your mind wondering.

---

VERVE SHOUT OUT
Whether aficionado or neophyte, if you're looking for once-a-month, easy-to-get information about the Madison arts scene, check out eMAC, MadisonVerve's new e-magazine.
Learn More

---