WHEN "Spirit of the Dance" played Honolulu two years ago it was billed as "Spirit of the Dance: The New Millennium," and included an annoying fiddler who appeared to be fiddle-synching over recorded tracks. The woman's cheerleader-type motions showing all us Honolulu hicks when we were supposed to applaud got stale fast; and her pretending that she couldn't hear the applause was tedious as well. Following in
the dancesteps
of the originalReview by John Berger
jberger@starbulletin.com
Maybe the fiddle segment was dumped at the same time the phrase "The New Millennium" was judged passé. Whenever it happened, it was a good decision. Except for those two changes, the 2003 edition of the show that's back at the Hawaii Theatre through tomorrow looks and sounds pretty much the same as the 2001 program.
"Spirit of the Dance": 2 and 8 p.m. today, and 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. tomorrow at Hawaii Theatre. Tickets are $25 to 45, plus $2 per ticket Theatre Restoration charge. Call 528-0506.
The performers who wear microphones on the big song-and-dance numbers still appear to be lip-synching to vocal tracks (and badly, in a couple of cases). The unidentified lead dancers and expressive supporting troupe is nicely integrated -- they look like they could do aerobics for days! The costumes are colorful and the production values expansive. Lighting effects and a mainstream "New Age" instrumental soundtrack are essential ingredients.
The dance concert opens with a symbolic birth of dance -- apparently in Ireland or some similar Celtic environment -- and continues with segments representing the dance of other Western cultures. There's flamenco, waltz, a "Classique-la-Festivale" segment representing some Latin-American locale, post-disco club dance, and so on. A battle of the sexes is again nicely choreographed as the final number in Act I.
The leads are not identified in the playbill or from the stage, but for the opening night show on Tuesday they were Alison Parker (Spirit), Joseph Miller (Danny Boy), and Caroline Coombs. Miller was particularly charismatic as the leader of the troupe's five men.
TO GIVE THE CAST and others involved in this edition of "Spirit" their due, nothing in this show drags or feels overly long.
The opening "Spirit of the Dance Overture," a country-western number ("Hoe Down"), and a lengthy salute to Bob Fosse, are notable. The opener is a nod to the Irish origins of the original production (there are now six separate troupes).
The choreography of "Hoe Down" was generic but the women's costumes were striking. "Fosse Follies" and the "Applause" segment that followed it gave the anonymous dancers the chance to let their personalities shine. "Applause," which they performed seated on the edge of the stage, was particularly well executed.
As in the 2001 version of the show, "Spirit of the Dance" offers an overview of styles of dance that include Irish, Scots, Spanish, Austrian, Brazilian, and American, although no information on these dance forms is included in the show or in the playbill.
Purists expecting straight Irish or Celtic dance, Argentine tango, or Fosse-style choreography, will want to look elsewhere, but anyone who enjoyed "Spirit of the Dance" last time will find it better the second time around.
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