Dance Reviews

Nov 7, 2005 - Dancing with Minh Tran & Company and the University of Nevada, Reno Dance Program

By Jack Neal

Barbara Land, the driving force behind the exceptional University of Nevada, Reno dance program, dedicated the program's Fall Dance Festival held last Thursday and Friday nights (11/3 & 4/2005) at Nightingale Concert Hall to Nevada Festival Ballet founder Maggie Banks. Miss Banks, who had a long and distinguished career in dance, died in Reno last spring.

Above all else, ballet was her first love. Maggie Banks danced professionally as a ballerina, then moved onto films and nightclubs as a choreographer of considerable success. The Maggie Banks dance lines at Harrah's Lake Tahoe and Harrahs' Reno during the heyday of big-name casino enterrtainment brought Miss Banks to Northern Nevada.

In Reno she has many disciples, Barbara Land being one. "To Where You Are", choreographed by Kelly O'Neil, "Sentimentales", choreographed by Barbara Land, and Saint-Saens' "The Swan", done with lights and music only - no dancers - a la the tribute to Anna Pavlova upon that great ballerina s passing, was a touching tribute to the influence of Maggie Banks, whose legacy lives on but whose indelible presence will be tremendously missed.

The student portions of the program were all impeccably choreographed and danced. "L'Envitable", to the music of Stravinsky with choreography by Sonja Delwaide, was dramatically danced by Silvia Martins. "L'eau" was danced by what might be called the program s corps de ballet. Dressed in handsome blue gowns and moving to the music of John Williams via graceful Barbara Land choreography, "L'eau" was danced with supple elegance.

In the classical "Sentimentales", Eve Allen and Kristen Christiansen were a splendid match and exhibited the kind of disciplined technique for which Maggie Banks was renowned. Discipline and well-grounded technique are the wings on which dancers soar and soaring and remembering is what "Sentimentales " was so remarkable at expressing.

The largest group dance of the student portion of the program, seven couples, was danced to Big Bad Voodoo Daddy's "I Need Some Advice". Not included as part of the Maggie Banks' tribute, "I Need Some Advice", choreographed by Suzette Feilen, nonetheless entertained in the style of a Maggie Banks dance line in a major casino showroom. It was a terrific number that only needed that extra oomph of execution to make it thoroughly professional and just that much more thrilling.

Minh Tran & Company, a professional dance troupe residing in Portland, Oregon, was the program s exclusive second-half offering. With chic, colorful costumes of Asian influence designed by Tere Mathern ( executed by Kristin Jager), framed by Christine Bourdette s exotic visual designs and Bruce Keller's radiant lighting, set against a wash of musical sounds including, but not limited to, traditional Buddhist music, Lou Harrison's Symphony No. 13 and portions of Phillip Glass's score from "Kundun", the company's conjoined series of dances via eclectic Minh Tran choreography was captivating and powerful.

The company of four women and two men (Jae Diego, Sarah Ebert, Tere Mathern, Jennifer Hong-Berdine, Mike Barber, Minh Tran) moved through what they call "Nocturnal Path" ("Offering", "Chaos", "Emptiness", "Becoming ") with a growing urgency reminiscent of the persistence of Ravel's "Bolero". The bombarding accumulation of affecting designs in movement and sound to the senses was hypnotic.

Minh Tran & Company is an exhilarating experience with dance. So too the impressive use of fresh, young dancers by UNR dance director Barbara Land. This dance concert was a sensitive and shrewd blend of new dance talent with splendid professional dance artists.

For information about future University of Nevada, Reno dance programs call 775 784-6145.