Post by Ainsley Adams
Through photographs, drawings, and promotional posters, “Nothing But Dance” at Artjaz Gallery celebrates the 35th anniversary of the Philadelphia dance company Philadanco. The work is by three artists with very different takes on how to express dance in still images.
Warm charcoal portraits of individual dancers in the nude by Vera
Grobesestablish a sense of intimacy with the performers. These drawings impart the intense training required of the dancer, displaying their bodies’ grace and beauty.
Deborah Boardman’s photographs convey the rhythm and harmony of the
troupe dancing together (top image).
Finally, Alfred Turner Jr. documents the splendor and drama of Philadanco performances. (3)The theatrical lighting and costumes in his posters highlight the artistry of the human body in motion. The powerfully expressive representations of modern dance in “Nothing But Dance” are a fitting
commemoration of Philadanco’s past 35 years.
–Ainsley Adams is a student in Colette Copeland’s art writing class at the University of Pennsylvania
