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FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM
Summer Partlon plays Kali, shown in full costume on the cover, in the second half of "Destiny."
No Pear, more flair It's a new beginning for the IONA Contemporary Dance Theatre. For one thing, the troupe has a new name, having dropped the "Pear" that once followed IONA.
Cheryl Flaharty's reinvented
troupe mixes media and mythologiesBy Gary C.W. Chun
gchun@starbulletin.comSince its 1992 inception with the groundbreaking "The Mythology of Angels," Cheryl Flaharty and her company have presented outstanding dance and theatrical programs around the islands and on the mainland, distinguishing themselves with the blending of stark Japanese Butoh-based dance movement with the flourish of stunning costumes.
Along with the new name comes this weekend's debut -- IONA's first evening-length work in five years, entitled "Destiny," being described as Flaharty's most progressive work to date, involving nothing less than the past, present and future of humankind through a diverse mix of mythologies, religions and cultural archetypes that Flaharty and IONA have built their reputation on.
"With the name change," Flaharty said during downtime in rehearsal Sunday afternoon, "it allows for other changes in the structure of the company. It gives us a new, fresh outlook.
"Every successive piece we do is more ambitious than the last. We always want to grow and explore, leading us to that next step in our art."
Part of that change will manifest itself in a couple of innovations.
COURTESY OF IONA CONTEMPORARY DANCE THEATRE
The detailed costumes are a must see. Lizbeth Grote portrays the Tree Goddess.
"After spending a couple of years on the mainland and Europe, I noticed there was more use of the element of text, and the power of the spoken word in modern dance is another texture I want to work with." Flaharty said. Those accustomed to IONA's past use of spare Butoh movements will also see more modern dance elements in "Destiny."
The piece's monologues were written by one of Flaharty's favorite collaborators, playwright Victoria Nalani Kneubuhl. The two first worked together in 1998, when Kneubuhl helped IONA with the re-staging of "Hawaiian Myths and Legends" produced in May of that year. Flaharty returned the favor that October by choreographing some of her dancers in Kneubuhl's production of "The Story of Susanna."
"While I started as a playwright," said Kneubuhl, "I've gone with a more poetic style. I like to mesh ideas with images, and Cheryl wanted to enhance my words through her work. I like Cheryl because she's imaginative and image-driven, and she's a nice person to work with.
Featuring IONA Contemporary Dance Theatre 'Destiny'
Where: Hawaii Theatre
When: 8 p.m. today and tomorrow and 4 p.m. Sunday
Tickets: $25 to $35, with a $5 discount for seniors, students and military
Call: 528-0506
"It's fortunate that Honolulu has someone like Cheryl here; she's become a really big name on the scene and she contributes a lot to our artistic community. Plus it's just tons of fun to work with her."
IN ADDITION TO Kneubuhl's spoken words, "Destiny" will also feature video pieces by local artist Mark Kadota and Sergio Goes, a former Hawaii resident who is now a photographer/documentary artist in New York. The videos will be projected on a scrim on stage.
Another first for IONA will be aerial choreography, with dancers suspended by harnesses, inspired by Flaharty's work with Cirque du Soleil's Louie Cote.
Combine this with striking lighting design by Donald Ranney and the occasional, evocative music of composer John Signor, and "Destiny" becomes more than just a dance production.
COURTESY OF IONA CONTEMPORARY DANCE THEATRE
Dennis Miller plays The Fool in "Destiny."
It combines and continues much of the work IONA has presented in the past, from "The Mythology of Angels" through "In God's Hands (and other selections)" that addressed issues of sexual abuse and domestic violence, "Worshiping Sun," a piece that drew inspiration from Egyptian, Middle Eastern, Hawaiian, Japanese and European sun myths, "Fresh Slices," exploring the interconnectedness of human beings, and "Passage Into Tomorrow," first staged in '94 and re-staged last year.
"There's a lot of religious references in 'Destiny,' " said Flaharty. The work also reflects the transformative and feminine aspects of spirituality in nurturing the planet and guiding the human race.
"It's time for a change," she said. "It's all part of the whole shift from the patriarchal Piscean Age that has ruled our skies for the past two centuries to the Age of Aquarius and its related feminine energies of wholeness, nurturing and healing."
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