Interesting.
I had almost the complete opposite reaction to the choreography you mention [leaving out Promises which is not of a piece with the others]. No point in debating our reactions really (they are both valid). I will just mention that you seem to have a preference for "shapely, elegant, beautiful to enjoy" and we can agree that those are not the first words that come to mind in the shows you mention. (Certainly I don't think all choreography of this style works as applied, but you could say that about plenty of shows with "beautiful" dance too, no?)
I had a related conversation with someone a while back, in which we were talking about the reaction in the late 19th Century to plays written with an awareness of the newfangled concept of psychology, and the reaction in some precincts to a similar awareness that is an aspect of 21st Century choreography. Without digging any deeper: that characters' words (like those of real people) often obscure what is really going on. In that sense, dance can inform rather than avoid character and plot. I'll leave it at that. |
