Wednesday, December 7, 2005

The Grammar of Regret

Gigi Rosenberg
Willamette Week


In a dance for six performers, Tere Mathern employs her signature abstract choreography. Composed of four sections -- "if, only, then, now" -- the piece is accompanied by an eclectic soundtrack including works by composer John Cage.

Mathern's work has to cool grace of modern architecture. One shove triggers leaps, falls, grasping arms and floor rolls in a polyphony of overlapping duets and quartets. The dance captures the repetitive nature of regret, the wishing and remorse that pulls and spins us, but is sometimes unaccessible.

The show opens with Gregg Bielemeier's playful Askew choreographed for two dancers -- one short, one tall -- which explores with gymnastic feats, the strength and nimbleness found in both sizes.