RDT's 'Mystique' captivates audience

"MYSTIQUE," REPERTORY DANCE THEATRE, Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, March 25, additional performances through March 27 (801-355-2787).

The first half of the Repertory Dance Theatre's production of "Mystique" features nine selected works by the late modern dance pioneer Michio Ito.

His revolutionary style blended Japanese intuition with Western-influenced movements, which the Repertory Dance Theatre brings to life once again.

Ito's innovative "Pizzicati Shadow Dance," a 1916 piece that used stationary dance and shadow, and the subtleties in "Yamada Tone Poems I & II," two emotional and expressive solos that were choreographed in 1928, are a couple of highlights of the Ito segment.

The reverence of those pieces, plus the others — including "Etude #9," "En Bateau" and "Scriabin Preludes," to name a few — danced by the RDT dancers, give Ito the respect and recognition he deserves.

Interspersed throughout the works, which was restaged by Kyoko Imura and Kumiko Komine from the Michio Ito Doomonkai in Tokyo, is spoken narration by RDT artistic director Linda C. Smith. Smith give a condensed history lesson of Ito's life, works and technique, which, in part, centers around a series of hand gestures and the balance known as yin and yang.

Each of the works, which also features "Chopin Waltz in C Sharp Minor," "Ladybug" and "Tango in D," are backed by live piano music performed by various musicians from the Gina Bachauer International Foundation, including the foundation founder/director Paul Pollei.

The last piece of the Ito segment, "Taeko's Pavane: Homage to Michio Ito," was choreographed in 1997 by his niece Taeko Furusho. This work is the only piece done to recorded music, but it's also one of the most touching, because Furusho utilizes Ito's trademark hand gestures and sense of movement.

The immediacy of the dancing, narration and live music easily captivated the audience, which sat in awed silence Thursday night.

The second half of the evening is a direct contrast to the meditative and fluid movements of Ito's works.

Jo Stromgren's 2001 progressive and aggressive "Kraak" builds from simple swaying arms and torsos to full-out, angsty sharpness.

A string of abrasive duets and trios, along with an unplayed acoustic guitar, are peppered with dramatic lighting and fever-dreamlike music. The six dancers find themselves working with and against each other in this exciting and non-linear work.