Battle dances to the music

A red pigtailed wig and brightly colored muumuu clothe a big, gentle teddy bear of a man as he boogies to Donna Summer’s “Last Dance.” The audience roars with laughter at this farcical display.

This man is Robert Battle, this semester. He is also the choreographer and artistic director of Battleworks Dance Company, which performed at Grace Street Theatre last weekend.

All of Battle’s pieces use the choreographic tools of music, canon and repetition. His work contains tribal movements, such as rhythmic stomping and slapping, while his choreography triumphantly juxtaposes the sublime and ridiculous.

“This is what I always expected dance to be, and now I see it,” said dancer and VCU student Kevin Jones.

One minute the dancers embody the classically balletic lines of an arabesque, the next they are imitating a small woodland animal. This seemingly bizarre combination creates a rich, dynamic style conveying the true joy of dance.

“Alleluia” characterizes the energetic celebration of dancing. Seven dancers clad in flowing white dresses seem to use the entire floor space as they bound around the stage to the music of Bach, Handel and Scarlatti.

Junior dance major Tori Metz said, “The intense power and commitment of those dancers will make any person hold their breath in awe.”

“Rush Hour” demonstrates the monotony and frustration of the nine to five office worker, while “The Hunt” shows the intensity of female relationships and the power of raw feminine anger.