‘Cumulus’ Artists Welcome Spring

Formed in 1984, “Cumulus” brings together a diverse group of artists each year to celebrate spring. “Cumulus ‘98,” which bowed Friday evening at Studio A in Silver Lake, featured Charlene Gawa’s art, poetry, and dance, with an emphasis on the latter. Under cardboard clouds, several performers seemed to transcend the two-dimensionality of the suspended bits of puffery with displays of lyrical emotion and outstanding technique.

None more so than Jamie Nichols, choreographer-artistic director of Fast Feet. In her stunning solo, “El Trabajo Solo Progresa,” this powerful dancer combined the grace of flamenco armwork with the mysterious body language found in the tango. Appropriately, Nichols danced to Sally Potter’s music from her film, “The Tango Lesson,” and melodies of Sebastian Piana and Homer Manzi. Maneuvering, at times, with a shawl, Nichols appeared to float across the floor in a private angst.

“Camino de Amor,” also choreographed by Nichols, featured Fast Feeters Nicole Arroyo, Maria Hipolito, Nicole Tseng and Steven Woodruff. Evoking love in various combinations--pairs, trios, unisons--the dancers, clad in sparkly neo-Mexican garb, executed lovely lifts and intriguing geometric patterns.

Also high on the dance Richter scale were Juliette Kurth in her whimsical homage to frazzled mothers, “Time Out,” and Jennifer Vaughn and Nancy Rubin in Vaughn’s “What About That?,” wherein the duo interspersed jazzy steps with martial-arts kicks in a “wronged woman” scenario.

Less successful were Madeline Swift’s static take on prairie women, “All the Day Long,” and Samuel Donlavy’s work in progress, “Got Milk?” The thirsty dancers of Donlavy’s company, Greg Money, Jennifer Seigle, Kendra Windish, Aaron Abrahamy and Donlavy, were too literal with text culled from the musical “Rent,” in which cows, bulldogs, moon-jumping and mooing were choreographically nonsensical to the point of irritation.

Poetry readings provided brief interludes between performances, which also included Bill Brown in a schmaltzy dance valentine to a departed lover; Jan Lucas in a lackluster pop-jazz work; and a witty spoof on garden party etiquette, choreographed by Terrance Curtis, with Swift, Kurth, Alana Beidelman and Curtis, proving that spring, indeed, has sprung.

“Cumulus ‘98,” continues with different participants at Studio A, 2306 Hyperion Ave., (213) 661-8311. $10; reservations required. Also April 24-25 and May 1-2, 8 p.m.