Christopher K. Morgan’s dance “Inconstancy” uses clever props to help illustrate its grass-is-always-greener themes.
They include small, identical carpets of artificial grass, a pair of white purses, two small lamps, white sunglasses and four piggy banks, three hot pink and one mint green, with round snouts and dots for eyes.
“There’s theatricality and there’s a great use of props,” said Morgan, who started his professional career in the 1990s as a Malashock Dance artist and last year became the San Diego company’s new artistic director.
“And it can elicit laughter, but also sadness and poignant reflection.”
“Inconstancy” opens Malashock’s production of “Tandem Intuition,” with performances starting June 19 that are meant to bring audiences on “a journey through the intricacies of human relationships.”
The show includes “Exquisite Duels,” a fresh work by company founder John Malashock, and the premiere of a dance Morgan has titled “Over, Under, Through.”
“Inconstancy,” however, has a long, intriguing history.
Performed to an original score by violinist/composer David Schulman, the dance generated positive reviews when it premiered in 2014 and it has been staged in the years since in Washington, D.C., and in New York.
The idea for “Inconstancy” was inspired by those aforementioned props, items that sparked Morgan’s imagination and simmered in his mind, untouched for years before Morgan began linking them to movement and a relatable narrative.
He considered that piggy banks and purses suggest saving or spending money, an issue that can cause conflict in relationships, and artificial grass is representative of the way lawns and homes can become an obsession.
Four company dancers perform as two couples in the work — Jessica Rabanzo-Flores is paired with Nick McGhee and Matthew Armstrong works with Lauren Christie.
They start the dance costumed in white underwear, but later change into matching clothing, dresses for the women, shorts for the men.
“Inconstancy” explores themes of self-discovery, competitiveness and domestic violence, which are sensitive issues that were addressed during rehearsals. There are sections of humor and tenderness, too.
“Lauren and Matthew will share a kiss and there are holds and embraces that reflect an intimate relationship woven throughout the piece,” Morgan explained.
“And like any relationship, there are tense moments and face-to-face aggression. Before we even started, I shared with them the ideas behind the content and the reason why I made this dance — to explore the dynamics of relationships. I wanted to make sure the performers felt empowered, secure and emotionally available in making themselves vulnerable for this work. I wanted to give them the option to ask questions or refuse if they didn’t feel comfortable.”
Malashock Dance artist Lauren Christie is performing in all three of the ‘Tandem Intuition’ dances and she has an advantage. She danced in “Inconstancy” when it premiered a decade ago.
Morgan was her professor when she attended American University in Washington, D.C., and she was a member of his company, Christopher Morgan & Artists, before becoming a Malashock Dance artist in 2019.
The different choreographic styles of Malashock and Morgan have enriched her.
“When I worked with Christopher early on in my career, it informed so much of my artistry and my movement,” Christie said. “He was my teacher, mentor and first company director. In John’s work, I feel superhuman, like I’m a dancer first. When I perform Christopher’s work, I’m tapped into my humanness and vulnerability.”
Christie also taps into moments of humor and one-upmanship, like when she holds the ball-shaped piggy banks chest high, as if they are protruding breasts, and her partner assumes an air of royalty, using the carpet of artificial grass as a cape.
“The interesting thing about the piece is that it’s character-driven,” Christie said. “There are these subtle choices in how you play it and that can make a lot of difference.”
Christie also performs a solo in Malashock’s “Exquisite Duels,” a dance that reflects desire and a sense of yearning for the unattainable.
Her part is an excerpt from Malashock’s 2013 work titled “A Man Found Wanting,” set to music by Leoš Janáček.
The program concludes with “Over, Under, Through,” a work performed by six dancers and inspired by the challenges of getting ahead of, or past, different life situations.
Morgan said his process involves “developing new movement vocabularies and interesting partnering opportunities.”
“We can all think of things in our lives that we’re trying to climb over, get past or get through,” he added. “I asked the dancers to imagine the obstacles that the other dancers are presenting with their bodies as some of those things that they are trying to get through in their own lives.”
In between working as a Malashock dancer in the ’90s and returning decades later to become its artistic director, Morgan has headed numerous dance companies and choreographed works that have been performed in more than a dozen countries. He also is a director for Art Omi: Dance, an annual collaborative residency for international choreographers in New York and he serves on the National Council on the Arts.
Adding “Inconstancy” to the production reintroduces Morgan in a way that connects his past to his present.
“For me, it’s rare to look back at work that I’ve made and really love it,” Morgan said. “When I was thinking about a way to let San Diego audiences get to know me again, I feel like this dance is an insight into what I’m interested in saying and making.”
Malashock Dance presents ‘Tandem Intuition’
Where: Malashock Dance Studio Theater, 2650 Truxtun Road, Suite 200, Liberty Station, Point Loma
When: 7:30 p.m. June 19-21; 2:30 p.m. June 22-23 (the June 22 performance is sensory-friendly)
Tickets: $20 – $40
Online: malashockdance.org
A VIP post-show reception from 4 to 7 p.m. on June 22 includes preferred seating, patio dining at Solare Ristorante, and mixing with the artists. $125.
Luttrell is a freelance writer.