Dark

American-born dancer-choreographer Carolyn Carlson performed with the avant-garde Alwin Nikolais Dance Theatre in New York between 1965 and 1971 but has spent much of her career in Europe, and this ballet is representative of the work she did between 1985 and 1991 as resident artist at the Théâtre de la Ville in Paris. Dark premiered there in 1988 and was taped the following year in the version preserved here, restaged in a studio, directed for television by Torbjörn Ehrnvall, and edited to allow for close-ups and changes of perspective. Dark is performed by eight dancers, including Carlson, to a jazzy score composed (and played on a piano modified through a digital console) by Joachim Kühn. There's no plot per se; running over slightly more than an hour, the piece rambles through 26 brief scenes that, taken together, are meant to convey the inner torment of the characters (who writhe about the stage in spasms of distress) and the ecological devastation of the earth, as indicated by the parched setting. But occasional shafts of light pierce the gloomy atmosphere, suggesting some room for hope for individuals and the human race as a whole. Although it's nice to have a sample of Carlson's work for posterity, Dark is no masterpiece, and technically the disc shows its age, with images that are often blurry, mediocre sound (presented in PCM stereo), and busy camerawork that sometimes obscures the choreography. DVD extras include a 17-minute combined introduction and behind-the-scenes featurette that offers a glimpse of Carlson's creative process. Optional. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)