Yorke Dance Project brought the world premiere of California Connections to the Stanley and Audrey Burton theatre on the 23rd November, not only showcasing the company’s wide array of talent and aptitude, but also honouring the legacies of three pioneering female choreographers: Isadora Duncan, Martha Graham and Bella Lewitzky.
Yolande Yorke-Edgell – founder of Yorke Dance Project and artistic director of California Connections – opened the evening with an introduction to the performance, giving us an insight into what we would be experiencing over the next 2 hours.
She gave a brief run down of the choreographers that were being paid tribute to, talking about the rationale behind the celebration of these inspiring women. Yorke-Edgell’s passion for this tribute was clearly conveyed as she spoke about about these women with such vigour and enthusiasm.
Isadora Duncan
(1981 / 2009 / 2023)
The first choreographer to whom the company paid tribute to was Isadora Duncan (1878-1927) who is arguably known to be the “foremother of contemporary dance”. Her mission was to revolutionise the art of dance and convey the weight and depth of human emotion, seen greatly through the first piece performed. This piece was a one-act chamber performance, reminagined from the 1981 ballet by Kenneth Macmillan. It highlighted the conflict between Isadora’s search for love and her redefinition of dance as a medium of truth, portrayed brilliantly by Yorke’s Amy Thake. The use of the spoken word throughout this piece not only gave historical context to Isadora’s story but also helped to create more of a realistic visualisation of the struggles she endured in her life. Thake’s performance was highly emotive and captivating, portraying Isadora’s romantic loves and tragedies through expressive dance.
Errand into the Maze
(1947)
Following the interval was a shorter piece choreographed by Martha Graham, the 2nd of the 3 celebrated women from the evening’s performance. This ballet is one of Graham’s most well known and popular works and follows the legend of Ariadne, Theseus and the Minotaur. Graham’s dance language was known to express shared human emotions and experiences, rather than merely providing a decorative display of grace and elegance. The realism of her style was seen extensively in this Errand into the Maze. Laurel Dalley Smith’s use of forceful movement, often conveyed through bodily spasms, helped to emphasise the intensity of human emotions and heighten the tension of the piece.
Suite Satie
(1980)
We were treated to an excerpt from Bella Lewitzky’s iconic piece ‘Suite Satie’ which showcased the talent of Ellie Ferguson and Jenny Hayes. The pair performed this non-narrative piece in synchrony, mirroring each other’s fluidity and graceful momentum.
Meta 4
(1984)
The final piece of the evening was performed by a quartet of dancers – 2 men and 2 women – and was performed in 4 movements to an original score by Robert X. Rodriguez. The sculptural style of Lewitzky’s dance was executed brilliantly by performers Luke Ahmet, Jenny Hayes, Abigail Attard Montalto and Pierre Tappon as they worked collaboratively to bring the essence of ‘pure bodily movement’ to life. This involved using the performance space in its entirely in order for one performer to manoeuvre effectively around another, as well as connecting bodies to enhance dramatic movements.
Photography by Pierre Tappon. Main image: Isadora – Dancers Ellie Ferguson and Luke Ahmet.
