Dance Review: Project: Motion plumbs vaults for retrospective

Veteran dancers Louisa Koeppel (foreground) and Lisa Clarkson lend a seasoned quality to the movements in "Upon Awakening," a 1996 piece by Laura Prentice Blow.Amber Reagan

Since relocating to the new Evergreen Theatre (the old Circuit Playhouse), the contemporary dance troupe Project: Motion has visibly notched up the quality of its productions.

The community dancers are looking svelter, more polished and better directed. Elegant, classical lines are creeping into their bodies even when they're improvising. Whether it's the training of the dancers or a tendency toward more refined choreography, the changes make a substantial difference. The last thing an audience member should wonder as performers are spinning, leaping and arm-twirling in the modern style is, "Is that all there is to it?"

Veteran dancers Louisa Koeppel (foreground) and Lisa Clarkson lend a seasoned quality to the movements in "Upon Awakening," a 1996 piece by Laura Prentice Blow.Amber Reagan

Project: Motion has been around for a long time and has provided a useful training ground for local choreographers. Kicking off its 24th season with a production called "ReNEWal," the troupe revives seven works that lean toward accessibility: only a minimal amount of talking, thoughtful titles and meaningful moves.

The highlight of the program also happens to be the oldest work, from 1987. "Mind Bind," choreographed by company co-founder Ann Halligan Donahue and reconstructed by artistic director Jay Rapp, is steeped in the rebellious energy of the first MTV generation. With New Wave hairdos and costumes that resemble either Catholic school uniforms or gothic cheerleaders, the robotic and occasionally zombielike movement is of the classic anti-conformity vintage. Jean-Michel Jarre's industrial synth-pop music evokes the period without carbon dating it. What other treasures from the '80s lurk in the company's vaults? Surely some old VHS tapes will surface before the 25th anniversary next year.

Another group piece, "Timed & Re-Phrased (Mashup)" by Wayne M. Smith, explores dance with text and improvisation. A dice roll at the beginning of the work sets the structure, while a kitchen timer on the stage determines its length. The dancers all seem quite comfortable with the conceit, and each brings his or her own style to the stage.

A couple of duets by Laura Prentice Blow ("Upon Awakening" from 1996) and Louisa Koeppel ("pocket" from 2004) are delicate and searching, each with humorous and wistful touches. The older and more experienced dancers — Koeppel, Lisa Clarkson and Al Bonner — suggest depth and groundedness through relaxed physicality and softened extensions. The unforced fluidity of their shapes lends the choreography a rounded quality, like an aged wine with subdued tannins.

In terms of a retrospective, "ReNEWal" emphasizes the prettier material from the company's past. Though none of the works on the program has the same rebellious streak as "Mind Bind," they all clearly originate from the same place: the heart.

Project: Motion's "ReNEWal"

Continues at 8 tonight and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at Evergreen Theatre, 1705 Poplar. Tickets: $20 for adults, $15 for students and seniors. Call 214-5327.

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