Bolero form as dance impetus

German choreographer Raimund Hoghe is as intrigued by uninhabited stage space as he is by the space that people occupy, demonstrated by his "Boléro Variations" this weekend at Walker Art Center. Unfortunately, there was an unintended vacancy -- one that should have been filled by performer Nabil Yahia-Aïssa. The Department of Homeland Security is holding his passport, it was announced by Philip Bither, the Walker's performing-arts curator. Although all appropriate applications were made, the French citizen, born in Algeria, has so far been denied a chance to perform in this country.

The show began with a sense of loss for Hoghe and his remaining four performers as well as a sense of defeat for an audience interested in experiencing all international perspectives. But the troupe carried on, finding ways to reference Yahia-Aïssa, even including his shirt in the curtain call.

Despite this unwelcome distraction, "Boléro Variations" provokes strong reactions for artistic, not political, reasons. Hoghe, who is also a writer and spent 10 years as dramaturge for the late Pina Bausch's Tanztheater Wuppertal, has a subtle touch defined by stillness, spare gesture and the skillful interplay of light and shadow. Over the course of two hours I experienced a roller-coaster-ride of emotions - fascination, impatience, curiosity, discomfort and, eventually, serenity. Neutrality was never an option.

The work is built around variations of the Spanish/Cuban bolero musical form (including Maurice Ravel's famous composition). It starts with the breathless audio play-by-play of ice dancers Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean's gold medal-winning performance to "Bolero" at the 1984 Sarajevo Olympics, contrasted with basic pedestrian movement onstage. From here Hoghe constructs a theme -- different versions inspire the performers to respond with varying degrees of energy. They assume the erect awareness of Flamenco dancers, flow with the fluidity of Tai Chi practitioners, and skip happily to Benny Goodman. And sometimes they just stand, with only a hand engaged.

Hoghe often circles the action, but his presence shifts the dynamic. Inspired by Pier Paulo Pasolini's exhortation to "throw your body into battle," Hoghe does so despite severe scoliosis. He draws attention to his curved back but never dwells on limitations. It is just another element in this extended contemplation on the boundaries of virtuosity and beauty. Within his deceptively minimal approach, Hoghe shows us that these borders can be expanded in the most unexpected yet inclusive ways.

Caroline Palmer writes regularly about dance.