Emotion-Driven Solos, Familiar Staples Fill Festival

The Fountain Theatre opened its third annual “Festival of Solos and Duets” on Thursday night with an emphasis on emotionally driven female solos and just a few duets. For the most part, there were lone figures draped in white--or sometimes a muted earth tone--swirling through or struck suddenly by states of fear, longing, bewilderment or pain.

Overall, familiar modern dance staples prevailed: lyrical or sharp contracting and releasing, combined with short, frantic gestures that wound up and down enigmatically. Serpentine swirling also made more than one appearance, starting with the sweep and stretch of “Inanna’s Ascension,” by Karin Lynge Jensen, prettily performed by Marica Pendjer.

Choreographers often danced their own pieces: In “Self & I,” Lynne DeMarco explored a nervous-calm duality; while Monica Favand curled and unfurled to the steamy “Coffee” music from “The Nutcracker” in “Slither.” Working mostly on the floor, Favand seemed sinuously propelled by the dips and swerves of Tchaikovsky’s score.

Occasionally the music (all on tape) overpowered movement, as with Anna Djanbazian’s “After a Fall,” in which she could not compete with an unidentified Bach piece in the composer’s most elegiac mode. For Lauren Winslow-Kearns’ excerpts from “Evening Shade,” (in which she was joined by Sally E. Lambert, the powerful harmonies of severe hymns were more evocative than the dancing.

Working in a style much closer to European dance theater, Aida Amirkhanian’s “Loneliness,” was the lamenting waltz of a survivor, severe and effective. Less successful was Carolyn Krueger nuance-free “Bukhara” solo, choreographed by Vilayat Akilova. Kiha Lee’s duet “Fall,” (performed with Daniel Lynch Millner) provided some psychodrama that heralded old news--bullies are bad. And for the only comic relief of the evening, Benita Bike’s solo “Tom,” danced by Robin Kish, offered another cliche--that Tom Cruise has fans who worship his movie posters.

All in all, the spell that can be woven by powerful personal movement statements in the solo or duet seemed to be having a tough time.

* “Festival of Solos and Duets” tonight, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 3 p.m., Fountain Theatre, 5060 Fountain Ave., Hollywood, (213) 663-1525. $15.