VIRTUOSIC POETRY

Donald Byrd arrives on the stage in a raincoat. He moves slowly across the space as a recording of himself talking plays through the speakers. He states, “I am still sailing, still searching.” Behind him is a cloth backdrop with the words “Sea of Memories” at the top. It contains small drawings of different destinations such as a beach and a college, overlaid on an ocean. A dancer arrives on stage and removes the raincoat, replacing it with a blazer. Byrd takes a seat at the front of the audience behind a microphone.

This scene opens Localities/An Odyssey, pt. 1, the latest premiere of Byrd’s work on Spectrum Dance Theater. Byrd notes in the program that this work is “a response, primarily danced to sections of my unpublished memoir.” The work references places where Byrd has lived or spent time, which he views as having shaped him and his artistic work. He writes that “There is no narrative in the dances. The impulse was to do a ‘dance concert’ using the memoir as inspiration.” Localities/An Odyssey, pt. 1 features the full cast of company artists, including Simon Adler, Aimee Brotton, Cody Krause, Katarina Lee, Isabella Smith, Serene Wong, and Jane Mumford (née Cracovaner, formerly of Whim W’him). Associate Artist marco farroni leonardo is also featured in the last scene. 

The first part of the work explores Byrd’s time in Boston at Tufts University. He reminisces on the feeling of wanting to connect, and finds solace in the table of dance theater students that would gather at meals. The choreography in this section is clean cut with sharp lines and pointed toes. Front attitude battements become a common reference point. Occasionally a fifth position makes an appearance. Aimee Brotten displays strength and control while carried upside down in a split. Brotten later completes several jumps with swift buoyancy. Cody Krause returns to the choreographic staple of an attitude turn accompanied by serve-the-platter arms. The dancers move through this section with an intentional sense of body placement and movement direction. 

Next, things really begin to pick up. The cast reenters in red leotards and shorts with gold buttons down the front, playing to the theme of Byrd’s experience in drum lines. The choreography is quicker, as the dancers jump and land in a back attitude before playfully tilting their heads away from the audience. The drumming soundtrack of this section builds in momentum, mirroring crescendos of the dance. Crisp jeté after crisp jeté graces the stage. In particular, Serene Wong flies off the ground with expert ease. In an explosive solo, she leaps with a straight front leg, allowing her arms to circle her up into the air, down, then back up into the air shortly after. Simon Adler slyly turns a front attitude into a wildly flexible leg hold, then calmly returns to an attitude. Katarina Lee completes an outstanding slow penché. The effortlessness of the dancers in this section is deeply admirable. 

The next section reflects on a time of Byrd’s life that dealt with addiction and despair. Byrd says, “The loneliness was not cinematic, it was cavernous.” Jane Mumford traverses the space with a subdued expression of curiosity, like she’s searching for something. The other cast members form a clump, wandering the stage in slow motion while Mumford is left swaying in the corner. Mumford enters a dynamic solo, departing from the rhythms we’ve seen on stage so far. Her hands break over her forehead and she collapses to the floor. Her fingers run along the marley towards the audience. She shuffles forward on her knees, her arms delicately holding her shoulders. She bursts from the floor with asymmetrical legs and falls back down. 

Mumford’s skilled dynamics and range of movement quality make this solo a standout moment of the work. The group movement complements Mumford, as they make their way around the stage in ominous slow motion. Mumford pouring her whole heart out, the others wading through a different atmosphere. In a satisfying choreographic progression, the full cast then takes on parts of Mumford’s solo, recognizable at first from the distinct replication of fingers running along the ground. These revamped solo moments are layered in the group clump. Sometimes the floor is replaced with the body of another dancer. Mumford’s struggle becomes the struggle of the group.

Upbeat rhythms return in the last section, which reflects on Byrd’s time in Los Angeles. “We floated on longing,” says Byrd, reminiscing on dreaming about the future. In a nod to the ocean, dancers head to toe in blue and green chug with inverted swooping arms and side body dips. Katarina Lee performs a series of super fast chaînes turns with precision. Dancers mimic water currents with traveling prances. The stamina of the dancers is impressive as they maintain their enthusiasm and accuracy throughout this last section.

Localities/An Odyssey, pt. 1 is an exciting watch. Byrd’s spoken preambles are poetic, and they give the audience something to chew on even though the movement isn’t meant to be narrative. The choreography really highlights the skills of the performers. The dancers are fairly new, with the majority of company members in their first or second season. There are fewer total dancers than Spectrum has had in the past, but the cast commands the audience and dances together cohesively. It’s so captivating to watch them nail each move for two hours while still maintaining an energetic stage presence! Their talent is palpable. 

Spectrum Dance Theater’s Localities/An Odyssey, pt. 1 runs May 14 – May 18, 2025 at the Tricia Stromberg Studio Theater. For more information, visit www.spectrumdance.org