A soaring, heated celebration

Tye Gillespie forsook the left-brain world of aerospace engineering to pursue a decidedly more artistic path, that of dancer-choreographer. This seemed the wiser choice Saturday when Gillespie soared in a deceptively simple but profound display of body brilliance at Glendale’s Alex Theatre. His solo “My Song,” one of eight new works presented on the third annual “Celebration of Dance” series, proved the knockout punch in an evening that also had its share of air jabs.

Beginning in silence, Gillespie, possessed of a long, elegant line, could have been warming up: Clad in sweats and tank top, he casually fluttered an arm before adding a bit of foot-sweeping. These gestures soon expanded into an occasional somersault or one-arm handstand as well as breathtaking spins, while a voice-over by the dancer chronicled his life of the mind versus one devoted to dance.

Huge leaps with silky landings then metamorphosed into floor-sliding and head-whipping as Todd Agnew’s “Grace Like Rain” provided taped accompaniment. In a scant six minutes, Gillespie torched the stage.

Also providing solo heat, Jennifer Backhaus McIvor, in her “Waiting,” made novel use of a chair on wheels, with an Ani DiFranco ballad setting a longing tone. A metaphor for the elusiveness of love, perhaps, this daring work provided the performer with a kinetic prop equal to her gymnastic prowess.

McIvor scored too with “Stepping Back Towards Tomorrow,” as 12 white-clad members of Backhausdance moved in unison, their two dozen arms and legs creating an array of sculptural poses reminiscent of a Greek frieze. Saucy and jubilant, the piece featured various couplings and a jiggy quality intensifying as the music -- a kind of Celtic stringfest -- accelerated.

McIvor’s “Journey for Four,” showcasing company members Brooke Bishop, Mason Taylor, Andrea Thompson and Leah Turner, was less successful. Taking cues from the percussive flavors of Dead Can Dance, the performers bounced frenetically and leaped with abandon, but the work lacked a unifying element. Monique L’Heureux’s costumes -- a combo of harem pants and fringe -- didn’t help.

Elegant though uncredited costuming, by contrast, enhanced the beauty of Pat Taylor’s sensuous “Celestial Blues.” Sparkly tops and skirts for the women and shimmery tights and muscle tees for the men refracted light as nine members of the JazzAntiqua Dance and Music Ensemble punctuated their moves with power and polish. Here were heavenly bodies -- in knock-kneed stances one moment, shifting into lyric mode the next -- all grooving to the taped music of Dwight Trible.

Jose Vences’ “Chiapas,” a plucky look at coastal life, was well danced by his 26-member Grandeza Mexicana Folk Ballet Company. The four-part suite featured energetic skirt-swirling women, a wily wart hog and jaunty, sombrero-waving men.

Completing the program, Llewellyn De Villiers’ recital-like “Sing -- Sing -- Sing” had nine young girls from Ballet of the Foothills hopelessly attempting to capture a big band feel, while Patrick David Bradley’s vacuous “Unusable Signal” featured a female sextet from San Pedro City Ballet flailing aimlessly in unflattering unitards to taped Japanese drum pounding.