May 6–13, 1999

six pick

Ausdruckstanz

When Brigitta Herrmann took a hiatus from the directorship of Ausdruckstanz Dance Theater to head off to Colorado, she left it to company members to maintain the ensemble in her absence. Herrmann did not, however, insist they follow her particular aesthetic, which is rooted in German Expressionism. "She just told us to do what you like, keep the quality up and use the company as a tool to do our work," comments Emily Hubler (right). Hence the upcoming Ausdruckstanz show reflects the artistic visions of several dancers: Brenda Kunda, Rebecca Sloan, Amy Benenate and Hubler. Each differs in their approach to dance: Benenate duets with a tapper, Sloan is working with harnesses, Kunda is going for flowy gestural movement while Kunda's piece combines dance with video. While all created their work independently, Kunda notes there's a thin thread that runs through all of the pieces: "We're all working with patterns and women's issues."

-Deni Kasrel

Sat.-Sun., May 8-9, Kumquat Dance Center, 624 S. Fourth St., 215-928-1495.