Appropriately, the evening began with the opening duet from “Amor Fati” (1999), a brief exercise in largely gymnastic partnering that serves as the prelude to the whole work. In this performance, it introduced one of Monte’s signature pieces, “Pigs and Fishes,” a 1982 work originally commissioned by Alvin Ailey for his company. The movement shows hints of African influence, especially in the way the arms are often joined together to form a circle that loops towards and away from the center of the body.

If the arms are not locked together, then typically only one arm moves at a time, slicing forward and back while the hips respond by swaying side to side. The propulsive music by Glenn Branca buoys the dancers, carrying them through to the end of this physically demanding work.

“Outside In,” the first of the evening’s premieres, is the work of company member Joe Celej and features new music by composer Ben Doyle. Three dancers sit entwined together on the floor; as the piece progresses, they never lose contact with each other, rushing to fill holes recently vacated by another dancer. At one point, company strongman Prentice Whitlow hinges backwards while simultaneously supporting a dancer seated on each of his thighs, providing resistance for his outstretched arms. All the while, their movements are hazily projected onto the back scrim, creating a ghostly counterpoint to the action happening before the audience’s eyes.

Associate Artistic Director Tiffany Rea-Fisher’s “In Absentia” also features new music by composer Kevin Keller; the work itself, however, covers familiar territory, exploring the ideas of timing in romantic relationships. As the central couple, Clymene Baugher and Joe Celej demonstrate obvious metaphors of conflicting emotions by alternately pushing away from each other, then coming together. Baugher, although clearly skilled and certainly the most heavily used dancer throughout the performance, appears to overcompensate for her lack of lower body flexibility by relying on exaggerated facial expressions that detract from the performance.

Monte’s premiere of “Unstable Ground” proved to be the disappointment of the evening. With jarring music by Lois Vierk, the dancers largely writhe around on the ground from side to side as new dancers slither their way into the group. The men and women are dressed in shiny leotards of various shades of earth tones; however, the mesh panel on the back of the men’s costumes is placed in the front of the women’s costumes, revealing their bare breasts underneath. It remains unclear what this gratuitous exposure adds to a work meant to explore unexpected shifts in our environment and economy.

Fortunately, the evening closes with another recent Monte piece, “Vanishing Languages,” (2011)—an energetic, vibrant work that investigates the extinction of indigenous languages around the world. Some movement phrases are performed by opposing groups of four, each shifting their hips or sweeping their arms in a pattern that is uniquely theirs; with alternating sequences of turns, high leg kicks and slides to the floor, each dancer creates his or her own distinct language that may or may not be understood and repeated by the others.

Despite some of the choreographic shortcomings, the audience responded warmly to the program, cheering loudly when Monte appeared for a final bow.
EYE ON THE ARTS, NY -- Jessica Moore