"...strong, fresh, and engaging"

August 10, 2006 performance, reviewed by Connell McGrath

Shen Wei

Choreographer Shen Wei brings two new works to Jacob's Pillow this week. He is celebrated as one of the most innovative and talented contemporary choreographers working in America today. He gets a lot of attention in the press for his back story which is admittedly very interesting. Born in Hunan China, trained in Chinese opera from the age of nine, he was a founding member of China's first modern dance company in 1991. He moved to New York City in 1995 and struggled for a number of years in this country. He began gaining recognition for his work in 2000, and has been winning awards, attention and acclaim ever since. The first question that occurred to me was this: would Shen Wei gain the same acclaim if he were a Chinese guy from Queens New York? The answer--based on the work he presented last night--is absolutely yes. Having said that, I think the press could pipe down a little bit in their breathless excitement over his interesting roots.

He presented a great 2005 work called MAP set to Steve Reich's "The Desert Music" (1986). This is an excellent score, and very demanding both for a choreographer and for the dancers. It's fast-paced and quick to change. This dance work is absolutely packed with original and interesting movement, and variety. It was danced with technical and emotional excellence by the whole company. Shen Wei excels at using the whole stage. Throughout MAP he deploys groups of dancers doing related but different movements across the stage. The dynamics and flow of this choreography is very impressive. The work is wholly abstract, yet engaging and entertaining. Primarily, it has a contemporary and Western sensibility. The movement is quite original, though towards the middle of the piece becomes somewhat more dancerly with more recognizable gesture. He does not emotionalize the work, and yet it does not seem cold or distant. The piece is exceptionally well lit by Jennifer Tipton--not dramatic, yet responsive both to the musical score and to the choreography. MAP is an outstanding new work.

Shen Wei consciously avoids repeating stylistic elements in his choreography. Each new piece derives its style and movement from the idea of the work and the music used for the work. This is very clear in comparing MAP to the 2006 work called RE- Part 1 that came after the intermission. The two pieces couldn't be more different. According to liner notes by Shen Wei "RE- Part 1 is broadly based on my feeling of the land, the people, the religion and culture of Tibet, and is inspired by my recent journeys there." It is set to traditional Buddhist chants performed by Ani Choying Drolma. The piece is meditative--seeming almost like Qi Gong--graceful, tranquil and sad. It was beautiful and peaceful to watch, and it lulled the audience. The Chinese--or Tibetan?--influence was very strong in this piece in its costuming, movement, music and emotional tone. The four dancers performed on a simple mandala created on the stage out of white confetti. They scatter the manadala as they dance through it, and at times they rolled through the scattered confetti and it would drift off their clothes like snow as they stood up and danced. The piece is political yet not heavy-handed. The combination of tranquility and sorrow was particularly striking.

This is Shen Wei's second appearance at the Pillow, and he is delivering on his promise of diversity and originality. His work is strong, fresh and engaging.

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