Brawling And The Blues In New Parsons Pieces. (Reviews: New York).

PARSONS DANCE COMPANY THE JOYCE THEATER NEW YORK, NEW YORK OCTOBER 16-28, 2001

David Parsons may not be breaking new choreographic ground, but he is one of the most sought-after dancemakers today. Not only are his performances well attended and well applauded, he has also received numerous commissions in recent years. His most recent New York season included three new works: Kind of Blue, a U.S. premiere commissioned by Umbria Dance Festival and performed in Perugia, Italy, in July 2001; Annuals, commissioned by and performed at the University of Maryland; and The Hunt, choreographed by former company member Robert Battle.

Completing the program were Parsons's signature solo Caught, performed by Jaime Martinez, and Nascimento, a breezy romp for eight dancers. Moving to music by Milton Nascimento, the dancers were in the air so often it looked as if they were on a trampoline. Henry Jackson shone in this piece, flying across the stage with an infectious freedom.

Following this upbeat piece, Kind of Blue was a sultry diversion. The costumes, designed by dancer Mia McSwain, were configurations of denim: McSwain in jeans and a backless halter top, Sumayah McRae in a skirt, John Carroll and Ron Todorowski in jeans and red shirts. Their outfits, their slinky moves, and the Miles Davis music referred to different forms of blues. Carroll was particularly appealing in the shoulder-shrugging, hip-slinking, body-twisting choreography. (Prior to joining Parsons's company last year, Carroll performed with the national tour of Fosse.)

Battle's The Hunt, set to a pounding score by Les Tambours du Bronx, featured four men: Carroll, Todorowski, Jackson, and George Smallwood. The aggressive, almost tribal energy of the piece was a refreshing antidote to Parsons's more syrupy aesthetic. The costumes, again designed by McSwain, had the men barefoot and topless in floor-length black skirts. The quartet performed with gusto: mimicking fighting, dragging one another, and club-dancing. It was like watching a choreographic version of Fight Club.

Annuals was a confusing ode to birthdays: Smallwood, in a tux, presented a cake to McSwain, who bit out a chunk of it. Dancers appeared in pointy birthday hats. John Mackey's score tended to wander, as did Parsons's choreography. The movement lacked the clever connection to the music Parsons had shown in earlier pieces. In one section the dancers linked up, their backs to the audience and joined by crooked elbows, and appeared to limp. It's hard to believe these winsome, versatile dancers are aging. The company--which includes Elizabeth Koeppen, Ruth-Ellen Kroll, Katarzyna Skarpetowska, and Marty Lawson--looks best when it can unleash its charms and dance full-throttle.