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| ABOUT TRaC |
Fast TRaC Winter 2004
A Revival of Anger, Disorder and Death: This Time in the Actual It would be hard to ignore the vehement controversy surrounding Bill T. Jones' 1994 Still/Here in accessing his current production. When leading dance critic Arlene Croce mocked Jones' efforts without seeing his production that December, the criticism let to personal attacks and became much larger than dance, taking on the AIDS crisis, racism, homophobia, arts funding and the purpose of art as well. None of these issues were explicitly present in the work at hand. Now, a decade later, Bill T. Jones has revived the Phantom Project to present Still/Here Looking On, along with two other dances. Again, Jones does not focus on political issues but instead on the terminally ill patients on whom he based the movements. In 2004, however, despite current issues such as gay marriage and affirmative action, people seem more interested in simply seeing the production than they were last time around. Jones, a juggernaut of American dance, was not given a fair shake last time. The critical perspective, which he has opposed throughout his career, barely considered the dance piece itself, even when defending Jones. It is easier now to see his choreography for what it's worth, which ironically is rather disappointing. That's not to say the production on Thursday, February 5 was not worth seeing. The first piece was a phenomenal accomplishment. The Gift/No God Logic, choreographed by Jones' late partner, Arnie Zane, focused on the dancers' struggle with tradition and how they found fluidity when allowed to move for themselves. The all black attire and the eerie juxtaposition of off-key, irregular movement with an intermittent, but emotional Verdi aria was emotionally striking and exceptionally executed. The second piece, a revised version of Jones' There Were &, although not as satisfying, was an innovative and complex view of power, unity, and death. The movements suggested a constant shift of alliances and worship, and came together and met their end as a group. Although the dance was unevenly paced and a bit too intricate for its own good, it presented the more optimistic side of what was to come in the second act. Still/Here Looking On, the last and most anticipated piece in the night's program, was emotionally gripping, but kinetically dissatisfying. The audience immediately felt attached to the patients, each with their own distinct personality. Their situations were accentuated by Jones' smug narration and Cassandra Wilson's grimy blues vocals, both new to the 2004 production. However, the points Jones and Wilson stressed were not backed up by the dancers' actual movements. The dancing floundered, went on too long, and lacked a direct connection to the issues at hand. It seemed the only thing consistent with the apparent theme, rebellion and angst toward death, was what was said, not what moved. If Croce had focused on the actual flaws of the production in 1994 (which would require her actual attendance), and not on Jones' concept, her opinions would be more valued. Jones' credibility, not Croce's, would have come under question. The legacy of her article remains, however, as the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, now in its twentieth season, is still best known for issues other than dance itself. While the show was decent, it was disappointing that such a controversial show was not nearly as eventful as the controversy surrounding it.
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