In today’s age of technology and instant data, people attempt to predict everything from the weather to the stock market. But choreographer and dance company owner Bill T. Jones welcomes unpredictability.
The Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company brings this philosophy of the future to its production, “Blind Date,” which comes to Royce Hall on Friday and Saturday through UCLA Live.
The Harlem-based modern dance company was founded in 1982 and has since become internationally acclaimed for its fusion of dance and theatre. Since Zane’s death from AIDS complications in 1988, Jones has continued work in and apart from the company.
Jones most recently won the 2007 Tony Award for Best Choreography for his work in the hit musical, “Spring Awakening.”
Considered one of the most innovative forces in modern dance, the company has titled its latest piece, “Blind Date,” referring to the unknowns of the future and the collision between people’s present practices and the values from an idealistic past.
“I began this work in a time when I was concerned and confused about my own values,” Jones said. “I asked myself what did I believe in so much that I would die for. We live in a time that I call toxic certainty … (and) this certainty results in conflict.”
The uncertainty of a blind date serves as a contrast to the need for certainty that has become part of modern society.
“With my surroundings here in America, I feel that people do have a toxic certainty with how sure they are that they are, for example, the good guys who save the world,” said Asli Bulbul, who has been dancing in Jones’ company since 2001.
In addition to emphasizing unpredictability, “Blind Date” also contains personal stories from the international cast. Bulbul, who is originally from Istanbul, Turkey, explores the idea of patriotism in her story.
“I really didn’t understand what patriotism means; it was a foreign concept to me,” she said. “I could relate to nationalism, but patriotism to me, as a foreigner, seemed a very American concept.”
The choreography plays with contrasting movements, from slow, fluid actions to sharp, fast motions with gestures that can be interpreted as anything from traditional African dance to militaristic movement. Dancers fling about the stage in perfect unison, traveling in harsh diagonal lines.
Music in the show is similarly eclectic, ranging from Bach and Otis Redding to the national anthem of Mexico. Some of the dances are performed to simple sounds rather than conventional music.
“It fits together like we do: a Mexican, a Chinese and a Turk onstage,” Bulbul said.
In one of the dances, a man moves in and out of a giant frame, looking like an abstract painting come to life. A man in a suit narrates and sings while a screen projects the words he is saying, as dancers in military cargo pants move across the dimly lit stage. The screen is used throughout the performance to project words and pictures. This multimedia performance is meant to be entertaining but also thought-provoking.
“I hope when (students) leave, they will have questions; they will be thinking, be provoked and intrigued,” Bulbul said.
Jones expects attendants to leave the performance questioning their approach to life and the unexpected obstacles and choices that spring up along the way.
“You will be asked to do a quick check about what makes you a free person,” Jones said.