Review: From Inferno to Americana by Ty Graynor

by David Glen Robinson
Published on November 26, 2023

Ty Graynor's dance pieces INFERNO and AMERICANA contained worlds of technique and meaning, executed masterfully by the solo choreographer and by the ensemble.

A figure lies in darkness upon a stage. He is nearly nude, clothed only in his humanity. Although fixed in stillness, the figure seems to writhe in deep, interior struggle.   Light fades up on the dancer, Everyman, in painful efforts to rise. He advances slowly upward in levels but struggle never ceases. We begin to recognize movements characteristic of modern/contemporary dance, but soon disciplined structures and movement tropes of modern ballet appear. The floorwork …

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