"SHUT-UP AND DANCE," ODYSSEY DANCE, Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center; additional performances through March 25 (355-2787).
Odyssey Dance Theatre has some good choreographers in its ranks.
Not only does artistic director Derryl Yeager have a gift for movement, but his associate director, Bonnie Story, and dancer Eldon Johnson share the sense.
During Thursday night's performance, headlined by the disco epic "Staying Alive," Story made her mark with the world premiere of "Incertitudes." The moving work examined the age-old idea of crabs in a bucket. When one crab nearly escapes, the others pull him down.
That imagery came to mind as the audience watched the dancers ascend ladders and benches. The struggle for survival and the desire to rise above the dregs of life were compounded by the other dancers pulling each other down.
Highlighted by the longing music of Philip Glass, "Incertitudes" was a thought-provoking look at the downfall of human nature.
Johnson's work "Soundtrax," which made its debut a couple of years ago, is still as poignant and surreal as ever. Backed by the stirring techno score by Edward Shearmur, the dancers experienced an array of emotions.
The dancers' toned bodies contracted, released and reached throughout the piece with passion and emotion. The audience, which had whooped it up to the flashy opening number "The Krew," sat in silence as "Soundtrax" unfolded.
"The Krew," a Trey Barber work, got things started, and despite subtle changes and a little lack of energy, the piece still got the audience riled up for the rest of the program.
Yeager's mesmerizing pas de deux "Motif" spotlighted Johnson's balance and Lisa Benson's unbelievable limberness.
Odyssey brought back Liz Imperio's striking "Obsessions Possession." The Gothic work still stands strong with its themes of co-dependency and abuse.
Wrapping up the evening was the showcase "Staying Alive." The six-segment piece, choreographed by Yeager, Allison Thornton and Jessica Holker, is a nostalgic romp into the disco era of the 1970s.
The catchy soundtrack by the Bee Gees took the audience back to mirror balls and lighted dance floors. And the dancers added life to the mix. Vintage disco-point moves, hip swivels and line dances lit things up.
Regardless of a handful of missed lighting cues, Thursday night's performance was a nice example of the dancers' versatility.
E-mail: scott@desnews.com