Music and Movement Blend in Performance

LA JOLLA — Jazz music has a tradition of improvisation. Modern dance, on the other hand, has been firmly rooted in set choreographic patterns, except for the rebellious period of postmodernism in the ‘60s when breaking the rules was the golden rule.

Now, in the offbeat collaborations of Tandy Beal Dance Company and jazz vocalist Bobby McFerrin, improvised music and movement merge seamlessly and inevitably--with each artist feeding on the other’s invention. Tonight, Beal and McFerrin will team up for their special brand of song and dance at UC San Diego’s Mandeville Auditorium.

Members of the audience will get into the act as well.

“McFerrin forms a chorus out of the audience,” said Lynne Peterson, director of University Events and Student Activities at UC San Diego. “He creates a whole musical piece.”

Beal’s role in the collaboration is to match McFerrin’s musical forms with complementary motional patterns. Obviously, the two factions are on the same wavelength, because what began as a single benefit concert has evolved into an extended performance tour.

Beal, an ex-Alwin Nikolais dancer, is a choreographer many consider brilliant. Working spontaneously with McFerrin seems to stimulate her creativity even more. And McFerrin’s musical gifts and a cappella style have earned him Grammies for best male jazz vocalist and best vocal arranger.