“I’ve seen some things I hated at the American Dance Festival over the years. Most of them weren’t bad art: They ran counter to my tastes and philosophies. This week’s ADF program in Reynolds Theater, however, is weak—so weak, it is difficult to sit through. “Footprints,” with its premieres of ADF-commissioned works by three choreographers, is the new incarnation of what for some years had been called “Past/Forward,” in which one or two new works were presented along with reconstructions of one or two modern classics. “Past/Forward” succeeded the International Choreographers Commissioning Program, in which one often saw the strangest and most exciting new things. It was always a high point of the festival for me. What all three formats have in common is that the works are danced by ADF students, who spend part of their six weeks in the ADF School working with the choreographers to present the new pieces near the festival’s end. Students get great experience, and choreographers get the chance to work with large casts without large costs.”
Read the full review, published July 24, 2012, on Classical Voice of North Carolina.
Dancers performing a Helen Simoneau work. Moves similar to this were the highlight of her new piece in Footprints. Photo: Steve Davis, courtesy ADF.
Filed under: Dance reviews Tagged: ADF, ADF School, American Dance Festival, Helen Simoneau, Jodi Melnick, Reggie Wilson
