Tap dance has a rich history filled with diverse approaches. Choreographer Kaleena Miller, recently named one of Dance Magazine's "25 to Watch," is a leader in the Twin Cities' vibrant percussive dance scene. On Friday night at the Southern Theater in Minneapolis, she proved there is still more innovation to be discovered in the form.
"Here Now," created by Miller in collaboration with her dancers, seems tailor-made for the uncertain times we live in. Set to a richly urgent musical score by Hand Sand Hands (Miller's brother Jonathan), the work is fueled by agitation and defiance. The dancers use their tap shoes to slide across the floor as if on ice. They headbang to the insistent beats. Their fiercely focused tapping builds up until they discard their footwear and redirect their energy into more free-form dancing.
The defining moment of "Here Now," however, is a solo for Galen Higgins. Seemingly tossed onto the stage like a discarded marionette, he rolls and tumbles, his limbs wildly at odds with one another. He still taps, but from a completely unexpected position as he grapples with gravity and some unseen torment.
Miller and Bruce DeMorrow also deliver exceptional solos. Miller has a refined sense of style and precision, but here she draws upon a more feral motivation. DeMorrow moves with a remarkable sense of ease even while embracing the darker premises of the piece.
The evening's mood shifts with "Untitled: 4" featuring improvised solos by Megan Wind, Miller, DeMorrow and Higgins. Joined live by musicians Michael Gunvalson and Adam Wozniak, each dancer has an opportunity to respond to the music in real time, reflecting the beats through call-and-response as well as counterpoints.
Wind shows off subtle yet powerful skills while Miller and DeMorrow have fun with the rhythms, engaging in a complicated conversation. Higgins tops it all off with his crazy-legged and high-spirited dancing — he is the embodiment of joy in tap shoes.
It was good to see Miller, a founding member of Rhythmic Circus (a Twin Cities group that tours nationally and abroad), produce a full evening of her own work. She proves that tap dance continues to evolve thanks to the inventive spirit of its champions.
Caroline Palmer is a Minneapolis dance critic.
