Review - The Spell Remains

The Georgia Straight

Publish Date: 3-Feb-2005

By Laura Murray

Carter Weaves Hip-Hop Spell

Choreographer Martha Carter specializes in transporting her audience into radical new territory. Following the success of last year's Interactive Digital Urban Ballet, the artistic director of Marta Marta House of Pride continues to produce one-of-a-kind works inspired by the underground club culture.

Created during a four-month residency at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, The Spell Remains is a potent mix of wild, untamed energy and technical prowess delivered with an urban street vibe. Striding back and forth and in and out of unified groupings, six performers in funky T-shirts, pants, and runners transformed the space into a fairly accurate representation of a rave. A large screen acted as the visual backdrop against which larger-than-life images of the dancers appeared sporadically throughout the evening. Intermittent beams of stark white light, designed by John Carter, were tossed in long diagonal planes--at times extending out into the audience--and in rectangular and circular clusters on-stage. Whether performing solo or in a duet, troupe members showed a commitment to remaining within the confines of these shapes.

The score, which consisted of layered rhythms, thudding drums, and pulsating beats, was manipulated on-stage by performer/DJ Jacob Cino, who imbued the Spell with a swelling drive that gradually mounted with the volume and pace of the music. Carter's vocabulary is undoubtedly influenced by the vital hip-hop and street moves stereotypically seen at after-hours clubs. Motifs including head swings, shoulder rolls, and elbow pumps dominated the upper-body gestures of the dancers, while their lower halves consistently executed pelvic isolations and intricate footwork requiring obvious technical skill. Carter's use of a cast with distinctly varied backgrounds enabled her to cleverly combine club dance with recognizable elements from ballet, modern, and jazz techniques. Therefore each performer infused and interpreted the work differently.

Amber Funk Barton was a powerfully striking presence, injecting grace and fluidity into the most dynamic and grounded of phrases. A strong and confident artist, Funk Barton maximized the impact of the material because she allowed the music to motivate and move her in a trancelike state.

Another key player was Katy Harris-McLeod, who clearly possesses a contemporary background, yet was footloose in her embrace of the freestyle movement aesthetic. Her approach was both magnetic and playful, especially when she partnered with Cino.

For the most part, the show's intensity didn't waver, but the challenge was to stop this hypnotic action from falling flat. The strength of the piece lied in its repetitive sections, carried out in unison and in canon, where a collective energy and heightened tension grew to a climax. Carter should consider tightening the middle, which focused on various solos, not all of which were necessary or deserving. The addictive adrenaline-rush feeling dwindled most obviously here. Yet The Spell Remains recovered effortlessly in a spirited and highly charged finale that left the audience wanting more.