Review: The Look of Love (Mark Morris Dance Group / TO Live)

With 11 honorary doctorate degrees and a repertoire of over 150 choreographed works to his name, the arrival of the illustrious choreographer Mark Morris to town is always a treat. The Look of Love, presented by TO Live, is a newer contemporary dance work (created in 2022) performed by the New York-based Mark Morris Dance Group. This production stands out as a rhythmic delight, brimming with love, humour, and sprightly dance choreography.

Spanning 65 minutes, The Look of Love is composed of quirky, musical, and technically sound choreography that keeps the audience engaged and, quite literally, moving along to the beat. Named after one of the classic songs in its set, a live ensemble performs the music of Burt Bacharach a year after the celebrated musician's passing. Other classics featured include "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head" and "I Say a Little Prayer," all sung by the fabulous Broadway star Marcy Harriel with music arranged by Ethan Iverson.

The work shines with its vibrant costuming, designed by Isaac Mizrahi. Dancers don individualised costumes in bright hues of pink, green, and yellow. The stage, mostly empty except for a few chairs and pillows in matching hues, is arranged in various formations for different numbers. Each number is imbued with its own unique motifs and quirky moments to match the music.

The symmetrical and geometrical choreography blends ballet's technical rigour with modern dance's freedom and jazz's playfulness - a signature Mark Morris blend. Another feature of classic Morris choreography brought to this work is the synchronisation of the dancers who, despite moving in unison, maintain their own individual flair.

One standout aspect of Morris's choreography within this specific work, is his ability to transform pedestrian walks into mesmerising stage moments within one of the numbers. In this sequence, ten dancers split into two groups, walking in syncopated, and interweaving geometric patterns that are visually captivating. I am not usually a fan of pedestrian walks on stage, but Morris manages to make them fun and visually pleasing (sorry Yvonne Rainer).

“The Blob” segment is another standout moment in the performance, drawing inspiration from the theme song of the 1958 horror/sci-fi film of the same name. Accompanied by the catchy yet eerie song and under the dramatically darkened lighting designed by Nicole Pearce, the stage transforms into a canvas of slow, controlled chaos. Dancers hold and roll chairs through the air, becoming a collective blob themselves. This segment presents a stark contrast to the rest of the show, offering a compelling interlude that shifts the audience's experience before returning to the sweet melodies and fun choreography set to Bacharach's music.

Morris's approach to this piece is refreshingly unpretentious. The Look of Love is an enjoyable, relaxing experience, devoid of over-seriousness, allowing the audience to simply sit back and immerse themselves in the music and choreography. It's a beautiful homage to Bacharach's legacy. My only warning is that it is near impossible to get the songs out of your head post-performance! Thank you for sharing this work with Toronto, Mark Morris. We hope to see you again soon (and hopefully for a longer run next time).

The Look of Love, presented by the Mark Morris Dance Group and TO Live, played for one night on January 19th at 8:00pm at Meridian Hall (1 Front St. East, Toronto Ontario).

TOlive.com
@TOLivebook @tolivegram @tolivetweets

MarkMorrisDanceGroup.org
X and Instagram: @MarkMorrisDance Facebook: @markmorrisdancecenter

Photo of Brandon Randolph, Courtney Lopes and Nicole Sabella in Look of Love. Photo by Skye Schmidt.

Video: https://youtu.be/_qZEVcNht78

Written by Deanne Kearney
DeanneKearney.com @deannekearney