ALEXANDER, MICHAELS/FUTURE MOVEMENT
His opening piece, Facades, Facets, Phases & Dreams, is a sentimental attempt to explore the inner lives of three people. We’re supposed to know them by their clothes, I guess. One woman wears a fur coat and sequined evening gown: she’s the sad rich lady. She dances a solo that vaguely suggests loneliness and longing. Another woman wears a bright yellow blouse and a purple skirt; from her movement, it seems she’s the overworked executive. A man in a black leather jacket, T-shirt, and jeans later changes into a clown costume, which he then removes to dance a solo that looks and feels a lot like the sad rich lady’s solo. What he’s supposed to be, I don’t know.
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Alexander is an accomplished dancer with loose legs and fast footwork. But tap choreographers must rely on their sense of rhythm, and unfortunately his isn’t that interesting. Perhaps his most successful piece is 8 the Hard Way, most likely because the dancers–Alexander himself, Kelly Etter, Jay Fagan, and Dina Pizzi–bring so much energy to their performances.
