‘Bound’s’ deft escape to freedom

Locally based choreographer Terry Beeman has a knack for spiritualizing the techniques that go into what’s considered commercial dance, connecting them to serious and even profound themes without diluting their kinetic excitement.

In his impressive 80-minute “Bound,” on Sunday at UCLA’s Freud Playhouse, he focused on images of people struggling to escape cruel restraints. Often deploying his 15 accomplished and versatile dancers in artful layers of motion, he also periodically isolated them in imaginative lighting environments designed by Rob Fritz.

Four men, suspended from skeins of fabric high above the stage, displayed spectacular gymnastic prowess in their attempts to untangle themselves and reach the floor. Other dancers used jazz and hip-hop skills in sequences showing them fighting against ropes that tied their arms tightly to their torsos, or straps that hobbled them like horses, or invisible, internalized restraints (Beeman’s own role).

Once the dancers tore themselves loose, the piece lost its sense of direction trying to express their new-found freedom and meandered into several possible endings. The yoga-inspired opening and closing rituals proved the most potent statements of an existence without attachments or entanglements. But in his brief solos, Beeman conveyed another kind of freedom through his effortless asymmetrical balances.

Twenty-one different recordings accompanied “Bound,” ranging from the 20th century classicism of Samuel Barber to the Indiapop of Sheila Chandra.

Unfortunately, Beeman didn’t provide the public or press with credits for the standout performances on view. But it was impossible to confuse the superbly intense Jeremiah K. Tatum with anyone else.

The premiere of “Bound” at UCLA was presented by the Debbie Allen Dance Academy, and Allen announced Sunday that the production will return in November.