PDC

2024 was a year of growth for a lot of artists and companies here in Pittsburgh. As we head into 2025, I’m going to be doing an overview of local groups, beginning with Pittsburgh Dance Council.

Director Randall Miller has made known his preference for hip hop and its effect on contemporary dance. But recently he is establishing a wider lens for this presenting group.

I’m going to slip in flamenco artist extraordinaire, Rocio Molina, to begin. The big story of the pandemic where she had to cancel, Molina opened the 2023-24 season where she was well worth the wait.

Certainly Rocio Molina, considered a superstar in the flamenco arena (Mikhail Baryshnikov, a superstar in the ballet world, knelt before her after a performance in admiration) gave PDC a thrilling start to the season. She changed outfits, a la gritty rock stars, maybe a cross between actress Zoe Kravitz and singer Stevie Nicks. And she added electric guitar to her flamenco accompaniment. I have to say that this was one of my all-time PDC favorite appearances, with intensity oozing from every pore.

Miller showed his growth in diversity, though, with one of the strongest years for PDC.

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo. The Trocks were celebrating their 50th anniversary, a real achievement in itself. But the company was actually in transition, with a large turnover of talent. They relied on a newer program, which PDC fans had not seen, featuring Swan Lake, Act II, Yes, Virginia, Another Piano Ballet  and Walpurgisnacht, And the company snuck in the always-popular and ever-molting Dying Swan. Overall it didn’t have the usual impact. That being said, it is impressive to watch how male-identifying dancers en pointe are  elevating the art form through an ever-growing technique, yet still entertaining with their divine sense of comedy.

Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE. With works like The Equality of Night and Day and the Afro Cuban nature of Open Door, Brown once again put his stamp on the Pittsburgh community. This time the company inhabited the music as it had never before. Such a pleasure!

Vertigo Dance Company. Vertigo announced its debut in a quiet, unassuming fashion, as can be seen in its promotional material. And yes, the performance itself had plain, neutral costumes, and simply used wooden sticks. But, in a way, Vertigo’s minimalistic approach, where it built sets before our eyes, opened the doors to an imaginative path that resembled Momix’s ALICE (see below).

Momix. We’ve seen this popular group, always challenging our perceptions about movement, a number of times. ALICE might have been its best. Even author Lewis Carroll, who wrote about his own imaginary Wonderland, could not have envisioned this psychedelic rearrangement of the classic tale, with multiple Alices, Mad Hatters and a room full of mirrors among them. There were 22 skits in all and, astoundingly, only 8 performers. Creative genius once again on view from mastermind Moses Pendleton.

Cloud Gate. I’ve noticed that Cloud Gate has been a regular visitor to the Kennedy Center over the years and was anxious to see what the company had to offer. This was a visual feast, rooted in Chinese traditions, but with a distinctive and highly original contemporary ambience. No one like it that I’ve seen. Martial arts with swagger. Brilliant projections, boldly hued, that seemed to have a life of their own. Indeed, oversized koi sometimes floated around the stage. Likewise there was a magical coat. The dancers shape-shifted through the movement, laced with an almost miraculous control.