Mary Ellen Hunt
Jun. 20,
2002
Dancing jazz, Savage-style
The Oakland troupe, rooted in ballet, interprets the music of such composers
as Brubeck and Hancock
By Mary Ellen Hunt
TIMES CORRESPONDENT
REGINALD RAY-SAVAGE wants to clear up one thing from the start: His Savage Jazz Dance Company doesn't specialize in what the average person thinks of as "jazz dance." Rather, the Oakland-based group performs serious dance pieces to classic jazz.
And both the dance and the music are of equal importance.
Through the years, the 10-year-old company has reached new levels of technical prowess and has attracted a faithful following. But it still strives for legitimacy as one of the few companies to present jazz dance onstage. There are no Bob Fosse moves, and no dancing to "Hella Good" or anything else from No Doubt. With Savage, it's dance with roots in ballet and the technique of modern dance, set to the music of Dave Brubeck or Herbie Hancock.
"'Jazzy' is more to me than just shaking my tail feathers," says Ray-Savage, founder and artistic director. "When you look at my pieces I want you to look at the integrity I'm trying to bring to this music -- am I capturing, or adding to, or showing the essence of this music?"
Audiences will have the chance to answer that for themselves when the company unveils its world premiere of "Freedom in Madness" on two programs this weekend and next at the Alice Arts Center in Oakland.
"Freedom in Madness" is the latest in a series of collaborations with highly regarded musician Marcus Shelby, whose quintet will perform the score as live accompaniment.
Although it seems that choreographed ensemble dance would be incompatible with the loose, swinging form one associates with jazz, Shelby's orchestra, his trio and his quintet have worked successfully with the company many times before. Ray-Savage is quick to point out that he never asks for compromises where the music is concerned.
In the same way that jazz is marked by energy and improvisation, as well as an openness to impromptu changes, Ray-Savage's dancers use their individuality, spontaneity and intensely quick musicality to dazzle audiences, responding not only to the other dancers but to the musicians.
Ray-Savage's choreography is no more set than a jazz solo would be set. There's a structure and a formalism to hold the work together, but also plenty of room for interpretation and not a few surprises. Occasionally, just to throw things off balance and see what happens, Ray-Savage will grab a dancer in the middle of a piece and have that person do something different. He doesn't restrict the musicians, and they give the dancers the kind of edge of spontaneity that makes live performance a thrill.
"I tell them, 'I want you to make a mistake,'" says the 44-year-old Ray-Savage. "I want them to figure out how we're going to get back on track. How am I going to save this? So then I do this or that. Now we're on the same page, and we got there because we're listening to each other."
A conversation with Ray-Savage has the same improvised, discursive, slightly wild feeling that his dances project. On a weekday lunch break, Ray-Savage can be found at a local Oakland cafe sitting outside and reading everything from the newspaper to Gore Vidal to Catherine Millet. It's apparent how his passion for current events, politics and art are woven into his newest works. The title and tone of "Freedom in Madness," for instance, is political.
"We've fought the same wars over and over and over again for freedom and peace, and we're still fighting," he says, pointing to Vidal's book of essays, "Perpetual War for Perpetual Peace," in front of him. "So maybe we should be listening to that crazy guy on the street, because we're not doing any better following our world leaders."
Another work, "Lullaby," a solo vehicle for Alison Hurley, takes on its social context from Ray-Savage's images of powerful women in his life. And Ray-Savage's "M'Boom," which will be performed on the company's first repertory program, uses Max Roach's all-percussion score to remind us of the roots of black culture and of jazz music itself.
Throughout its work, however, the defining characteristic of Savage Jazz Dance Company, and of Ray-Savage himself, is the impetuous devotion to jazz.
"The nature of jazz is an American theme," he says. "You and I are here, right now, and we might be here again in a year, but, how we got here ..." he says, waving his hands wildly to express an improvised path.
"Who knows? That's the nature of jazz."
DANCE PREVIEW
• WHO: Savage Jazz Dance Company
• WHAT: "Freedom in Madness": Two repertory programs
• WHERE: Alice Arts Center, 1428 Alice St. at 14th, Oakland
• WHEN: Today through Sunday, and June 27-30
• HOW MUCH: $20 general, $15 students/seniors • CONTACT: 925-798-1300,
510-762-BASS or www.tickets.com, For more information: www.savagejazz.org
or 510-496-6068
This review initially appeared on June 20, 2002 in the Contra Costa Times.
For questions or comments, please contact maryellenhunt@yahoo.com.