Michio Ito is the forgotten pioneer of American modern dance. Born in Tokyo in 1893, he trained in Europe and spent 25 years working in the United States, where his fusion of East and West drew wide acclaim.
But in 1941, as war-panic seized the nation, the FBI placed Ito under surveillance, says Mary-Jean Cowell, PhD, associate professor of dance in the Performing Arts Department (PAD) in Arts & Sciences, and an authority on Ito’s life and work. Within 24 hours of Pearl Harbor, “he was arrested as an alien enemy and unjustly accused of espionage.”
Ito spent the rest of his life in Japan but in 1997 his niece, the dancer and choreographer Taeko Ito, paid homage to her uncle with “Pavane,” a large-scale ensemble piece that employs gestures and sequences drawn from his technique.
This fall, a group of nine Washington University dancers became the first student cast to receive permission to perform “Pavane” in the United States.
On Dec. 4-6, they will present the work as part of Washington University Dance Theatre (WUDT).
Shadows & Light
The annual showcase, which takes place in Edison Theatre, includes dozens of dancers, selected by audition, performing new and original choreography by visiting and faculty artists.
This year’s iteration, titled “Shadows & Light,” will examine the ways dancers and choreographers collaborate with lighting designers to sculpt perceptions of the human form.
“In dance, we don’t typically have intricate sets or scenery,” said artistic director David Marchant, professor of the practice in dance. “Lighting design is our main scenic element.
“We in the PAD are very fortunate to have Sean Savoie on faculty,” Marchant said. “Not only is Sean one of the best lighting designers with whom I’ve had the privilege of working, he’s also a gifted teacher.”
For this year’s concert, each choreographer is partnering with a student from Savoie’s “Advanced Stage Lighting” studio.
“I have never seen student designers light dance as effectively as Sean’s do,” Marchant said. “These are artists without whom our work would not look nearly as dramatic, exciting or spectacular.”
Lighting “Pavane” will be Ricardo Solis, a junior in Arts & Sciences. The piece is set by Lynne Larson, artistic associate and education director for the Repertory Dance Theatre — the only U.S. company to feature a number of Michio Ito works in its repertoire. Cowell serves as rehearsal director.
Other visiting artists include Thomas F. DeFrantz, professor and chair of African and African American Studies at Duke University, who choreographs “Tell Me A Secret.” The experimental tap dance is set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland and lit by senior Alexander Booth.
Also on the program:
“The Great Witches of Sundiata, King of Mali”
Choreographed by Diadie Bathily
Lighting by Ricki Pettinato
Based on the “Epic of Sundiata,” which chronicles the life of Sundiata Keita, founder of the Empire of Mali in West Africa, this work for nine dancers retells the story of an attempted assassination instigated by a jealous family member.
“Into the Light”
Choreographed by Christine Knoblauch-O’Neal
Lighting by Ben Harvey
This work for nine dancers is inspired by the work of Gordon Craig (1872-1966), who pioneered the theatrical use non-representational background screens. “The choreography; therefore, is not built around a narrative,” Knoblauch-O’Neal said, “but rather sculpted to offer the lighting designer a multitude of shapes, angles and areas to light in various degrees or to leave in shadow or darkness.”
“I Remember It Well”
Choreographed by David Marchant & Holly Seitz Marchant
Lighting by Dominick Ehling
Exploring the fragmentary, ephemeral nature of memory, this work for 12 dancers creates a series of non-sequitur vignettes that alternates passages of light and darkness while “excavating the often blurry lines between memory and fantasy, thought and emotion.”
“Pulse”
Choreographed by Cecil Slaughter
Lighting by Ricardo Solis
Thirteen dancers recreate this ambitious abstract work, which Slaughter debuted in 2007.
“Veritas”
Choreographed by Jennifer Medina
Lighting by Dominick Ehling
Set to Mahler’s 5th symphony, this new work by Medina is “presented in honor of all human beings that have suffered from senseless violence.”
Tickets and performances
Performances of “Shadows & Light” will begin at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Dec. 4 and 5, and at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 6.
Tickets are $15, or $10 for students, senior citizens and Washington University faculty and staff, and are available through the Edison Box Office, 314-935-6543. Edison Theatre is located in the Mallinckrodt Student Center, 6465 Forsyth Blvd.
For more information, call 314-935-6543 or visit pad.artsci.wustl.edu.
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