Despite loss of performance space, Beckles remains on pointe

Beckles’ “project” dancers — from left, Sunni Wright, Hayley Blackmon and Shelle Harring — premiere “Deem” this weekend. (Photo by Jerry Forcher)

The life of a dancer is by definition full of ups and downs, but the same is true of dance companies, as gay artistic director Loris Beckles well knows.

For more than a decade, Beckles has led the multi-ethnic Beckles Dancing Company during a time of tumult for many arts organizations. It's been specifically taxing for his troupe in the last year, which has had to deal with the temporary loss of its usual performing space.

"It's been a challenge," Beckles says, "but it's had its rewards as well."

Adversity often spurs creativity. The biggest reward has probably been a grant from the city of Dallas' Office of Cultural Affairs Project, which has allowed him to work in a concentrated way with a new set of dancers.

"I've enjoyed being able to work every day on what I dreamed up and couldn't sleep about the night before," he says.

To celebrate its 12th year, Beckles Dancing Company presents its spring concert, "Zwolf/In a Black Box," on Friday and Saturday. ("Zwolf" is German for "12.")

The concert is something of a departure for Beckles. In addition to hosting guest artist Derrell Cleveland in a gender-bending variation on his "Suite Beauty" and performing an encore of his work "Yor," Beckles will premiere one work ("Deem," set to Ravel's Violin Concerto) with his "project" dancers. He'll also premiere another dance ("Pitch Lily Permutations") that combines those dancers with his regular company a feat much harder to accomplish than it probably sounds.

"It has been a nightmare for everybody," Beckles chuckles, explaining how difficult it is to meld two troupes that rehearse separately into a single performance "with a fragment here and a fragment there."

Maybe, but it's a nightmare he wouldn't trade for the world.

Hampton-Illinois Black Box Theater, 2951 S. Hampton Road. April 27-28 at 8 p.m. $15. Becklesdancingcompany.org.




This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition, April 27, 2007.