Passion, artistry high in RDT works

Repertory Dance Theatre, "Moving Heaven & Earth," Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, Thursday, additional performance tonight, 8 p.m., 355-2787.

The emotions run as high as the artistry when it comes to Repertory Dance Theatre's 2006-07 season opener, "Moving Heaven & Earth."

The production begins with the shimmering beauty of Jacque Lynn Bell's restaging of her work "Ryoanji."

Inspired by a Japanese rock garden of the same name, "Ryoanji" begins with life. The curtain opens to three risers. On one is an infant. And then the vibrant piano music, composed by Mark Kolt and performed by Tristan Moore, begins. One by one, young and old dancers slowly make their way onto the stage in an intertwining queue. During their entrance, other dancers climb onto the risers and dance heartfelt solos, duets and trios.

Life-affirming peace and joy flow from the work and set the stage for the rest of the evening.

Lucas Hoving's abstract "Icarus" retells the Greek myth in a stylish and thought-provoking manner. The restlessness and recklessness of youth shine through Nicholas Cendese's Icarus while the older, wiser Daedalus, danced by Nathan Shaw, is strong and mature.

As the Sun, Rosy Goodman makes her entrance and promenades across the stage, and the tension slowly rises to a point where the climax is felt throughout the theater.

The frantic action/reaction physical study, Natosha Washington's "Exit from Eden," hits the audience like a slap and is the perfect ending for the first half of the evening. Washington's combination of lifts, lunges, extensions and dodges creates a kaleidoscope of movement.

Stephen Koester's "Fever Sleep" is the perfect splash of sound, movement and facial expressions to kick off the second half of the night. The work, which examines the slipping of sanity into dementia, was at the same time humorous and poignant.

Exaggerated facial expressions, obsessive gestures and vocal outbursts are shown not only for outrageousness, but also poignancy as the dancers seem to lose their minds.

Thayer Jonutz's solo in Bill Evans' "In the Valley of the Sun and Moon" brings to mind meditation and martial arts. Deliberate and methodical, the dance is captivating to anyone who sees it.

Closing the evening is Molissa Fenley's Southwest-flavored "Desert Sea." Dancers line up and dance in patterns resembling American Indian weavings and chipped-rock petroglyphs. The ritualistic movements add to the mystical feel of the work.

Artistic director Linda C. Smith has created one of the strongest nights of repertoire in years. Each work builds on the previous, and by the end of the night, the audience is left with no other choice but to applaud whole-heartedly and wonder what is in store for the next production.

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E-mail: scott@desnews.com