City in Motion delivers solid entertainment

Kansas City’s oldest community-based modern dance company received a standing ovation for its 25th anniversary show on Saturday at the Gem Theater.

The City in Motion performance showcased an eclectic mix of compositions for an interesting, if sometimes uneven, program that ranged from playful to sensuous to dark and foreboding.

Andrea Skowronek’s playful “Having a Ball” created visual humor by encorporating large blue exercise balls as props, with dancers colliding and careening off of each other as if in a pinball game.

“Rush,” choreographed by Dale Fellin, was a high-energy, percussive piece with high-flying leaps that no doubt tested the endurance of the dancers. Fellin’s exotic duet with Joanna Des Marteau, “The End Where We Begin,” portrayed the intimate caresses of a couple in sensuous, physical dialogue.

Donna Frogge’s “Babel,” loosely based on the story from the Bible, presented an ensemble work in long, flowing white culottes that began with geometric movements but shifted dramatically into chaos after divine intervention (symbolized by a strobe light).

Kat Kimmitz (“Black Tables/Vonlenska”), Andrea Skowronek (“What Will Be...”) and Stephanie Whittler all stood out in their own performances, in both ensemble and solo work, with smooth transitions, clean movements and confident presence.

“Growing Young,” choreographed by Tracie Davis, featured 12 singers from the talented Heartland Men’s Chorus. A favorite with the audience for its bouncy Americana nostalgia, this number would have made an excellent finale.

The show closed with Penelope Hearne’s “Longing, Fleeting, the End,” which ended with stunning imagery (a black shroud stretched across the stage against the backdrop of a projected moon), but it depended more on effect than choreography for its visual impact, giving it an unfinished, anti-climactic feel despite its promising potential.

Hearne is definitely on to something creatively, and it will be interesting to see where she goes from here.