The dancing is precise without being virtuosic. The performers' interactions suggest interpersonal influence, manipulation, dependence, and codependence. Jasperse was brought into the broad public spotlight after Mikhail Baryshnikov recently commissioned a piece for his White Oak Dance Company. The choreographer has earned a reputation for making thoughtful dances. His work can be enjoyed and scrutinized on many levels and from dozens of angles, be they kinetic, aesthetic, political, or emotional.
Dancers sit, walk, and fall on a set of wooden bleachers upstage center.
They stack and carry newspapers, books, and brown paper packages. As the dancers perform duets, viewers consider the many possible relationships between the partners. This deadpan pairing of horror and humor lies at the heart of much of Jasperse's work. John Jasperse Company's Joyce program repeats Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. The Saturday performance is followed by a talk with the artists.