National Dance Association

 Doug Varone and Dancers
"Chapters from a Broken Novel"

Monday, July 11, 2011 at 8pm
Reynolds Industries Theater at Duke University
The American Dance Festival, Durham, NC

Written by Alyssa N. Crump, National Dance Association

There is an endless sea of chatter in Reynolds Industries Theater as ADF students and regular ADF theatergoers crowd into the Duke University building. The lobby is filled with pictures of ADF co-director Charles Reinhart, who is retiring from the festival at the end of the summer after 43 years. Pictures include Reinhart with dance greats and personal friends such as Shen Wei and Paul Taylor. Beside the photos are quotes of congratulations, praise, and love from his dance peers plastered upon the walls. The overwhelming sense of communal appreciation and gratitude for Reinhart is felt all around.

Inside the theater, a white cloth hangs from above the stage. The cloth flows like a sail in the breeze, billowing over the stage. As the lights dim and music cues, words appear on the cloth, projected against it like a screen. The words reflect the titles of the 20 short works included in the evening's performance.

The work, "Chapters from a Broken Novel" consists of 20 solos, duets, trios, and group works that were influenced by certain phrases, sentences, or expressions heard or seen by Varone. Each piece has its own atmosphere and intentions; varying from an introspective solo of a dancer being pulled by an unknown force, to an eerie quartet awash in sepia tones, to a humorous solo of young girl dancing in the bathroom mirror, to a ominous yet serene piece  featuring the full company. Each of the pieces seem so different and random to one another, but they somehow have a common thread weaving through. They are like the many different pieces that make up a person or the universe; random and scattered, yet together they make a coherent whole.

The work as a whole had a very cinematic quality; with the lighting, visual effects, music, and billowing set design all playing a vital role in creating the over the top world of miniature worlds. The musical score, created by David Van Tieghem, sounded more like the soundtrack to a major summer blockbuster, than the accompaniment to an evening of modern dance. The resounding music brought a new level of cinematic quality to the movement.  The lighting was vastly different from piece to piece, making each its own small film, giving the audience a glimpse into the world before slipping into a new one. The sail remained an important fixture throughout, perhaps creating the through-line that connected the pieces, as it shrank and grew, sometimes encroaching upon the dancers, or growing to silhouette their forms. Each part contributed to creating a work that was entertaining, yet very real and human.

When speaking of the work in the post performance discussion, Varone said that his intention was to create something that encompassed the arc of all of his years of work. With his company nearing its 25th year Varone wanted to, "build a dance that embraced a body of dance that I have built over a period of time." Often having been called, "a schizophrenic choreographer," he found the many pieced work fitting for the task. Many of the small pieces within his "Chapters from a Broken Novel" have also been shown in smaller productions. "I wanted to create a dance that can be compartmentalized into 40, 50, or 70 minute works," Varone commented. This evening was the first that all 20 pieces had been performed together. Each time the pieces are performed together, Varone likes to shake up the order and see what new connections are made within the space.

The concept of "Chapters from a Broken Novel" is (to pardon the pun) a novel one, and perhaps also a choreographer's dream; to create a work with endless possibilities; with multiple worlds living inside of other worlds; that can transform itself from a lavish, dramatic production meant for a great stage, to a small, stripped showing within a New York city loft; capturing the human experience in a myriad of interchangeable vignettes.