|
The Sounds
and Steps of Appalachia
Kathryn Eurich of Crossroads and Eileen Carson of Footworks achieved a seemingly impossible mission: As the evening progressed, the audience observed growing links between the abstract and cerebral modern dance and the more immediate, breathtaking percussion of the fold dancers. At the end, the two groups performed their own rendition of a breakdown -- a traditional, fast-paced dance-before converging in one exuberant finale. Morris created classical modern interpretations of southern Appalachian music and narrative vocals. Her choreography depended must too heavily on certain movements that she does well -- grand jetes, spirals to the floor and deep lunges, to name a few. Yet her lush, moody style, always working to lengthen her already sinuous body, nicely counterpointed the upbeat, arrow-like, floor-drilling rhythms of Footworks. The Crossroads ensemble danced with increasing confidence and Footworks danced with great generosity. The music of the Footworks Band, composed of musicians from Asheville and Washington, was another essential component of the splendid evening, as were the remarkable rhythms of guest dancer Paul Moore, a fellow artist from Vinton, VA. |