Harbourfront World Stage – Black Grace/Short Works

by Paula Citron.
__________________________
Short Works
Black Grace
Harbourfront World Stage
Choreography by Neil Ieremia
Premiere Dance Theatre until Saturday
__________________________

New Zealand's Black Grace is an engaging contemporary dance company filled with good looking men. For the program Short Works, four women dancers have come along as guest artists, but the main ingredient of artistic director Neil Ieremia's choreography is testosterone.

Founded by Ieremia in 1995 as an all-male company, the dance vocabulary of Black Grace is rooted in the choreographer’s Samoan heritage. Ieremia's choreographic language is so distinctive that it is only due to his skill in manipulating this signature movement, that saves his choreographic ideas from looking repetitive.

In short, Black Grace performs exciting, high octane energy dance that is bruising, punishing physicality, an explosive combination of Samoan ritual, martial arts and daredevil risk-taking. Even movement for the women is powerful stuff.

Perhaps the most significant aspect of Black Grace's repertoire is how Ieremia has stayed true to his roots while taking Samoan ritual into a broader canvas.

Black Grace continues at Premiere Dance Theatre until Saturday.

(Photo credit: John McDermott)