FOCUS ON: Dance

Even the staunch mavericks of modern dance have abandoned the solo dance concert as a means of expressing their individuality. Going it alone is too taxing on the performer and often too monotonous for the audience.

But Gregg Lizenbery, former principal with the Utah Repertory Dance Theatre and co-founder of the Bill Evans Dance Company, has resurrected this idiosyncratic expression to pay homage to the pioneers who shaped the course of his art.

“For me it was like getting to know your father or grandfather,” he said during a break from rehearsals at San Diego State University. “I decided to find out what it really means to be a man in dance. After all, I’ve been at it about 20 years now, and I had never taken the time to explore my roots before.”

This tribute to Ted Shawn, Barton Mumaw, Daniel Nagrin, Murray Louis, Jose Limon, Karl Schaffer, Mark Morris and Donald McKayle will have its San Diego premiere tonight and Saturday at 8 p.m. at SDSU’s Studio Theatre.

“I’ve worked with every one of them,” Lizenbery pointed out proudly, “except Ted Shawn (the first man to blaze a trail in modern dance). I even worked with Jose Limon before he died.”

Gathering material involved several cross-country jaunts and a full-time commitment.

“I went to Florida to work with Barton (Mumaw) and to Denver to see Donald McKayle. I visited Daniel Nagrin in Arizona. I actually took six months off to work on this project,” Lizenbery said.

The works on Lizenbery’s program date from Shawn’s “Kinetic Molpai” solos and Mumaw’s “The Banner Bearer” (circa 1930s) to Schaffer’s “Fad,” McKayle’s “Twilight” and Morris’ “I Love You Dearly”--all created during this decade.

This presentation was born as a pilot project championed by W. Ann Reynolds, chancellor of the California State University system.

“I made the proposal about two years ago, and she (Reynolds) was very supportive. We’ve already been booked in seven schools in the system, but I don’t just do a concert. It’s a residency, and I teach technique, choreography and dance history during my visits.”