The Philadelphia Dance Company returned to open the 2003 edition of the Bermuda Festival of the Performing Arts.

A favourite with Bermuda audiences, the company performed two different programmes from its eclectic repertoire. Many dance enthusiasts will no doubt attend both performances.

Philadanco is renowned for its well-trained dancers and artistic integrity. On Monday night, the company performed the first diverse and exciting programme.

The first dance, `My Science', was choreographed by Bebe Miller. Performed to the music of La Voix Bulgare and Led Zepplin it incorporated different head and neck movements alternating between sharp and undulating. There were portions with male/female partnering male/male partnering and groups of dancers connected and executing elaborate combinations.

Poses and lines often had a sharp, angular quality and at other times seemed somewhat contorted. Short solos flowed seamlessly into intricate group interaction. The emphasis here was on modern with elements of ballet. From the very beginning I was impressed with the fact that the dancers had strong personalities but the dance was foremost, with the company perfectly in sync; tight execution always.

`Hand Singing Song', the second piece was a wonderful, at times whimsical, exploration of the use of hand gestures to express oneself, specifically in the African-American culture.

The dance begins without music, with female dancers moving their hands and arms, using breathing, hands and feet to create an evolving rhythm. A number of little black girl attitudes are created using "sassy" movement and articulation from sayings to sing songs. Even as the music kicks in recorded spoken word and live vocalisation, stomping of feet and clapping were utilised.

As the dance progressed, African drums began with the dancers donning black berets suggesting the Black Panthers. The movements became sharp and exact, somewhat militaristic, with elements of stomping (performed by teams in many African American colleges) and African dance.

The black power sign of the clenched fist high above the head was the powerful repeated visual here. The drums then dissolved into sinuous horns with the men executing a languid shuffling left pimp step. Here the movement was also sinuous, loose and relaxed.

My favourite piece was the third. Named `Exotica', this creation of choreographer Ronald K. Brown began with the dancers, costumed in velour and a couple with Afro wigs, doing a slightly surrealistic line-dance.

Deadpan, stiff, affected and serious, their movement was a somewhat humorous contrast to the music which contains elements of disco, techno and house. The next portion uses gospel music gospel sung by Mahalia Jackson and the dancers are full of emotion and fervour, the executions full and extended, the lines long.

Facial expressions here signified pain, grief and religious ecstasy. This was followed by more ambient music with African vocalisation, with dancers walking and executing ballet moves and beautiful soft arm movements evoking a slightly trancelike quality. The music flowed into deep house with snippets of the gospel mixed in and all of the elements came together with the dancers again in line-dance formation, but infused with the spiritual, the sensual, the controlled and abandon.

Finally came the amazing ballet, `Enemy Behind the Gates', choreographed by Christopher Huggins. Here, dramatic lighting, stirring music by Steve Reich, inventive and intricate choreography and the fine Philadanco dancers conspired to create a piece of art that had the audience completely engaged.

Dressed in black double-breasted military jackets, fitted at the top and flaring at the bottom, the dancers performed with impressive athleticism and precision. In front of a black half curtain with lighting that was at times amber, at times red or white, this piece was slightly dark but crisp.

The most traditional of the evening's programme, it showed the range of the company and still exhibited remarkable creativity especially with the unusual and highly effective lifts.

I can honestly say that Philadanco was a perfect opener for the Bermuda Festival 2003. It is, in my opinion, the best dance company to perform in the Bermuda Festival since Pilobolus, but with perhaps more emphasis on dance than sensation and delightful buffoonery.

Certainly all of the dancers who perform in the Festival are well trained but the Philadelphia Dance Company offers a bit more. The company is creative and at times experimental, certainly hip. The choreography is outstanding and the execution inspired, passionate and focused, all about the dance.

Allan Smith