The choreographersset movements that allowed the dancers to keep close to their originalimpulses, so everything looked fresh, honest and delightfully idiosyncratic.Signature movements I’ve come to associate with Wild Space, when present,seemed newly revelatory, even sacred, in this democratic exploration of anelusive subject. The collective process was always evident, and it became themost important meaning: Happiness is a social and interpersonal phenomenon,built on connectedness.
Speaking of Happiness was ultimately about the joy of making art with andfor a community. The subject also lends itself to comedy and there were manylaughs. The basic structure is the variety show (or, from recent times, theconcept album). Twenty-four segments were listed in the program with titleslike “Practice What You Reach,” “Making Do With What You Have” and “Happinessof Fish.” Some were set against voice recordings of intriguing observations byhappiness scholars Daniel Gilbert, Daniel Kahneman and Malcolm Gladwell. Othersused music by composers as different as Donovan and Stravinsky. The dancerssometimes spoke, quite entertainingly. Overlaps, simultaneity, interruptionsand recurring motifs added structural complexity and cohesiveness.
Happily, the StiemkeTheater is a facility capable of illuminating the quality of the work and thecompassionate imagination of lighting designer Jan Kellogg. The dancer-actorswere Lauren Hafner Addison, Michelle DiMeo, Liz Herbst Fransee, AngelaFrederick, Javier Marchan, Yeng Vang-Strath, and Rodero and Schuchart. Eachquickly emerged as an interesting individual and deepened that impressionduring the performance. As dancers, they were grounded, sensual, relaxed andflexible, easily slipping into perfect unison, intimate partnering, passionatesolos and subtle clowning. They inspire confidence and compel attention. Theyare young, too, and so is a great part of the Wild Space audience, which isheartening.
A moment of perfecthappiness among the many highlights: For no reason but the insane beauty of it,Hafner Addison played Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” on tuned wine glasses carried inprocession across the stagepart vaudeville act, part ancient ceremony, funny,moving, holy.
