Dance Reviews : International Folkfest at Japan America

The distance between the dry scuffings of sliding feet in an austere, unaccompanied dance from Likato in Yugoslavia and the trumpet wails, cat-calls, boot-heeled stomps and flouncing skirts in a Mexican dance from Sinaloa is more than a matter of miles.

But Sunday afternoon at Japan America Theatre, a brainstorm called Folkfest successfully mingled offerings by Avaz International Dance Theatre, Karpatok Hungarian Folk Ensemble and Floricanto Dance Theatre. The key was high enthusiasm and similar levels of expertise.

The program opened with Floricanto’s intensely theatrical “Concheros,” an Aztec-derived ceremony involving conch-shell tooting players, implacable drummers and galloping, shaking, crouching dancers whose towering plumage trembled gently in the air.

“Yucatan,” another new piece that attempts to duplicate a Mexican party scene (flirting women waving the ends of their shawls, a wild and noisy Maypole prance and various feats of beer-bottle balancing) was the only clunker--largely because the Avaz dancers filling out the crowd looked so prim and uncomfortable.

But on their own turf the Avaz contingent demonstrated a zestful energy. “Katanka,” an Eastern Serbian dance new to their repertory, was propelled by spinning kerchiefs and springy squats mimicking horseback riding. Combining with Karpatok, Avaz also seamlessly enlarged the massed, whirling impact of czardas and other delicacies from Szatmar.

Karpatok once again was notable for the purity and careless suavity of its performances. The stridently chanting, small-stepping women and smartly knee-dipping, heel-snapping men who “relaxed” into courtly tableaux of camaraderie had the absorbed look of real folk amusing themselves.

Musicians from all three companies added pulse and flair to the proceedings.