March 5–12, 1998
critic pick|dance

Shut Up & Yodel

The cause is eminently worthy—Shut Up & Dance is the sixth annual benefit put on by the dancers of the Pennsylvania Ballet for MANNA, which provides hot meals for housebound people with HIV/AIDS—and the dancing is bound to be highly entertaining.
But perhaps the most distinctive thing about this concert is that it offers us a unique glimpse into the "soul" of the company. With the exception of grand opera, of all Western performance arts ballet is probably the most formal; its lengthy history and elaborate technique often serve to keep its practitioners at more than arm's length from the audience. In this instance, however, the gravity of the AIDS emergency has caused the dancers to drop the somewhat alienating "mystique" of ballet and has encouraged them to create and perform work made now; in that sense one can say that what we'll see is closer to them personally than the repertory that has come down from the past.

Shut Up is put on by a self-selected group that comprises nearly the entire company, including its leading dancers, so the level of performance is extremely high. This year's program is made up of a large number of brief pieces, mostly five to 10 minutes long, and has an unusually broad emotional range, from the comic and flashy to the serious and affecting. Among its highlights: Christopher Roman's uproariously funny "yodeling" number that starts the show; Carry Me, a dance contributed by an "outsider," Myra Bazell, one of the best choreographers now working in Philadelphia; solos by principal dancers Jeffrey Gribler, Jodie Gates and Leslie Carothers; and Meredith Rainey's piece, one of two that features a choir.
This once-a-year event will have an electric atmosphere that will only drive the dancers to give their very best. It will be special in many ways; I urge you to go.

Shut Up & Dance, Sat., March 7, 8 p.m., Forrest Theater, 1114 Walnut St. Dance party with DJ Maria V follows at 12th Street Gym. General-admission tickets $25 ($60 tickets also available—include pre-show cocktail reception). For further info, call MANNA at 496-2662.
-Robert Ackerman