Photo by Paul Ruffolo
Last weekend, Danceworks Performance Company (DPC) and fiber artist Timothy Westbrook teamed up for Paleontology of a Woman, an ambitious exhibition of dance, fashion and fossils that tackled nothing short of the evolution and essence of femininity.
Music was composed by Allen Russell and performed by the Tontine Ensemble. Especially captivating were the sequences spanning the end of Act I. In “Victorian Excavation” a supercilious matron (Dani Kuepper) instructs a pupil (the brilliant Kim Johnson) in the art of being a “lady.” The music first extended the pomposity and pretension, then morphed to match the transition to the fashion runway of “Sample 2: Paleolithic Promenade.” Underlying the sleek sounds of modern beauty and control were the jubilant strains of primal energy. Buoyed by the score, Johnson flouted her matron and lifted her long skirt far above the ankle in a striking moment of rebellion.
The dancers were superb throughout, but several moments and motifs warrant special notice. In “Sample 1: Archaeopteryx,” Alberto Cambra masterfully embodied the transitional species between feathered dinosaurs and modern birds. His movements were an arresting blend of ferocity and grace.
In various passages, the company walked with elbows resting on bent knees, and a humorous moment from “Promenade” found them enacting the classic evolution diagram, beginning in this posture and slowly rising to the erectness of Homo sapiens.
Westbrook’s costumes were integral to Paleontology’s action and symbolism. In the first dances, where prehistoric themes reigned, we met his brilliant triceratops headdresses—eerie, eyeless armatures covered in a variety of fabrics. In the promenade sequence, DPC and several other models flaunted his eveningwear. Flowing skirts, hooded tailcoats and intensely patterned heels created a fairytale spectacle. The show’s baseline costume was a brown patchwork leotard suggesting the earthy origins of human life. It was moving to watch the dancers cycle through increasingly elaborate costumes, only to return to this baseline by the end of the show.
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Visually and psychologically stunning, Paleontology is a collaboration to be discussed for years to come.
