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Theater & Dance

A grand duo in Seattles Spectrum Dance Theater and


Attacca Quartet
By Sarah L. Kaufman January 31

ForitsWashingtondebut,SeattlesSpectrumDanceTheaterbroughtalongastringquartet,treatingtheaudienceat
SidneyHarmanHallonSaturdaynighttoanuncommonluxury.
Thenagain,youcanexpectsurprisesofthatsortfromSpectrumsartisticdirector,DonaldByrd.
IsthereanythingByrdhasntdelvedintoinhislongandrichlyvariedcareer?HeearnedaTonynominationforhis
choreographyinTheColorPurple.Hetouredtheworldwithanearliertroupe,DonaldByrd/TheGroup.His
funkyandpoignantHarlemNutcrackercrisscrossedthecountryswingingtotheDukeEllingtonBillyStrayhorn
arrangementofTchaikovskysNutcrackerSuite.Thatproduction,fromthemid1990s,wasterrificfun,anda
spectacleasIrecall,inonenumber,theladiesbalancedchampagneglassesontheirhips.
Saturdaysprogram,presentedbyWashingtonPerformingArtsandCityDance,wastitledRambunctious.The
NewYorkbasedAttaccaQuartetjoinedSpectrumseightdancersonstage.Byrdswiderangingappetitewasevident
inhischoiceofcomposers,includingCharlesIves,AaronCoplandandCharlesWuorinen.
TheeveningshighlightwasVincentPersichettisStringQuartetNo.2,Op.24,whichaccompaniedByrdsworkfor
fourdancers,Ifrommyselfambanishd.ThelinecomesfromChristopherMarlowes16thcenturyhistoryplay
EdwardII,describinganemotionalfarewellbetweenthekingandhisdearfriendandlover.Byrdsotherdances
wereabstract,butthisonewasabouthumanconnectionandseparation.Ithadabeatingheart.Yourootedforthis
foursomeastheylockedarmsaroundoneanotherlikebestfriendsagainsttheworld,orknelttosupportonewho
stoodalone.
Persichettismusicwasdeeptonedandsearching.Reflectingitsunsettledquality,thedancersengagedinsome
wellcraftedstrugglesattimes,oneofthemwouldtumblegentlyandinslowmotionandtheotherswouldbe
knockedsidewaysabit,rattled.Theydstepovertheircolleaguewithcare.Andtheyddanceon,makingthebestof
it.Lifeislikethat.

Sarah L. Kaufman received the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Criticism. She is the author of THE
ART OF GRACE: On Moving Well Through Life. She has been The Washington Post's dance

critic since 1996, and what moves her most is seeing grace happen where she least
expects it. Learn more at http://sarahlkaufman.com/ and Facebook SarahLKaufmanWriter

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