Dorrance Dance With Toshi Reagon And BIGLovely

The ICA's cozy auditorium was the perfect setting for the exhilarating performance of Dorrance Dance and their musical collaborators, Toshi Reagon and BIGLovely. Presented by World Music/CRASHarts, they performed "The Blues Project" this past weekend (March 13-15).

Michelle Dorrance's company of nine magnificent dancers molds tap dancing into a kick-ass contemporary sensation that never compromises its respect for its tap dance ancestors. She created the choreography in collaboration with two of her dancers, Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards and Derick K. Grant, who grew up dancing in Dorchester and was welcomed by the audience as the local hero. Their work is reflected in and enhanced by the soulful music of Toshi Reagon and her five-piece band, BIGLovely.

Each of the nine dancers and the five musicians have such defined and appealing personalities that even work when the narrative carries with it references to slavery and exploitation is made joyous. Both the band and the dance troupe display an easy and natural diversity -around race, gender, body type, sexuality, and age (from 19 to 51)!

The dancing encompasses elements from so many forms that one feels tap will never be the same. From tango kicks to Lindy Hop skips, from country clog steps to hip hop handstands, Dorrance finds a way to tap right through it - even in sections where the dancers are barefoot or in trainers. Underlying the unflagging energy is a humor that is sometimes playful, sometimes wry, and sometime ironic. The power of the dancers' emotional vocabulary makes for a transcendent experience that wins them euphoric audience ovations.

In a switch from the usual process and at Toshi Reagon's request, Michelle Dorrance and her colleagues choreographed the group pieces without music. Later, using notes and video clips, Reagon wrote the music. Her songs are often bitter-sweet, such as "Stop knocking on my door, If you don't want to anymore." Sometimes they contain an entire narrative, such as "Young man broke his word. The truth could not be heard. Somebody's gonna have to pay... And it looks like you and me."

Dorrance astonished the audience during the post-performance Q&A, by explaining that not only were the highly emotional solos improvised, but also the soloists did not know in advance on any given evening which song Reagon would play. Each of the three choreographers performed solos that were hard-hitting, intricate, and downright mesmerizing. The charming, accomplished Reagon wrote 16 pieces for "The Blues Project," although they are not all used during the performance. She comes from American music royalty: her mother is Bernice Johnson Reagon, the founder of the a cappella ensemble Sweet Honey in the Rock. Toshi Reagon's BIGLovely consists of a guitarist, a bass guitarist, a violinist, and the drummer Allison Miller whose command of her drums, not the least during her solo, is staggering.

World Music/CRASHarts is to be congratulated for bringing this splendid show to Boston. For those who were unable to see it, they will be appearing at Jacobs Pillow this summer.