FORT BLOSSOM REVISTED
May 16, 2012
Immaculately conceived, John Jasperse’s “Fort Blossom revisited (2000/12)” is a memorable piece of dance theater at NY Live Arts. Visually pristine, half the black stage floor is covered by an unspooled white Marley floor. Two attractive nude males (Ben Asriel, Burr Johnson) and two costumed females (Lindsay Clark, Erika Hand) are joined by clear plastic cubes for the men and amber cubes for the women. Men stay pretty much on the right side of the stage and women on the left. Exquisite exercises in erotically charged and abstract movements shape this duet-times-two to a soundscore by Ryoji Ikeda.
In alternating passages, the men move, then the women and finally they blend into a quartet. Simple combinations prevail. Men’s bare legs rise, circle to the back, and bend forward, backsides provocatively pointed to the audience. Later, they slip onto the floor, one on top of the other separated by the plastic cube. Soon, a rippling motion starts in the torso and travels to the hips in a graceful humping action that continues until the prophylactic cube deflates. On the other side of the stage, the women strap the plastic objects to their backs resembling butterfly wings, turning and gracefully folding and unfolding arms and legs.
Unlike his more recent works, in this piece, Jasperse claims full ownership of the choreography and design—and it shows. Equally playful and controlled, “Fort Blossom Revisted” reveals a strong choreographic mind and deep consideration of the body politic.
EYE ON THE ARTS, NY -- Celia Ipiotis
|
