Eye On the Arts

                 MARTHA GRAHAM DANCE COMPANY Review by      Celia Ipiotis                                       Leslie Andrea Williams in Chronicle. Photo by Brian Pollock At a time of great unrest, and only 3 years until the start of World War II, Martha Graham's 1936 "Chronicle" stood as a fierce manifesto rejecting the rise of fascism in Europe. Unnervingly aprt for our time as well.Despite the all-femlae cast, there's nothing delicate or pretty about these warrior women pounding their feet, and slashing, angular arms against leaps propelling them to freedom. The youthful Graham dancers plunge into politically charged  Chronicle  particularly the determined and stately Leslie Andrea Williams who fans her full skirt exposing the blood red bottom under the black sheath in the "Spectre" (created in 1914--the start of World War I). Section II, "Steps in the Street:Devastation--Homelessness -- Exile"  finds  a fine and intense Marzia Memoli commandin

                              BALLET HISPANICO IN DONA PERON. Review by Celia Ipiotis. Bathed in white light, Eva Peron(the excellent Dandara Veiga), a larger-than-life figure, stands proudly far above the crowd in a long white gown that flares to the ground. Within minutes, this mesmerizing figure undoes her bodice and drops her skirt only to reveal a ladder which she climbs down (only to climb back up during her political reign) and joins the throngs in the streets waving white hankies. A dynamic cast draws from several contemporary dance forms tracing Argentinian street dances from the tango, to upper class waltzes, modern and ballet elements.  Click Here To Read Review