Review Of "Troy Game" By R. Cohan

Document Type

Film Review

Publication Date

9-1-1989

Published In

Choice

Abstract

This video, which introduces the London Contemporary Dance Theatre to American dance audiences, was originally filmed for television broadcast in 1983 at two locations in London. Part 1 presents company members in a class taught by their director Robert Cohan (former Martha Graham Company soloist). Insightful class comments are interspersed with interview sessions during which Cohan discusses differences in ballet and modern dance training and performing practices, as well as distinctions between choreographic intents in each idiom. A number of these comments relate specifically to Robert North's choreography for Troy Game; Part 2 shows this dance in performance. The theme investigates camaraderie and competitiveness, using a cast of nine men. North's choreography employs various martial arts movements within the context of a Graham-inspired dance vocabulary. Three cameras (alternating between full-stage and close-up views) capture the sense of energy in the work at the cost of somewhat obscuring its spatial outline. Useful for general audiences and introductory college courses, this tape may be particularly valuable for male students if shown with The Men Who Danced (CH, Oct '86), featuring Ted Shawn's all-male modern dance company of the 1930s.

Comments

This work is freely available courtesy of Choice Reviews. The review has been reproduced in full in the abstract field.

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