By Steve Sucato for The Buffalo News
When Jon Lehrer left behind LehrerDance, the dance troupe he started in Buffalo in 2007, to form Jon Lehrer Dance Company in 2018 in his native New York City, he did not completely leave behind his adopted home of Buffalo. Since then, Lehrer and company have been back annually at Artpark. Now, for the first time since 2017, they will return to the Burchfield Penney Art Center for performances on Oct. 20 and 21.
Fans of the eight-member company will be treated to a site-specific program that includes four Buffalo premieres, all choreographed by Lehrer. The thought is, Lehrer said, that the dancers will perform in various museum galleries while the audience stays put – a sort of reverse in-the-round where the dancing happens around the audience. At least that is the hope.
“I don’t want to sit the audience down and have them watch like they would at a theater,” Lehrer said. “I think this space is too special, and we can have fun utilizing its galleries.”
Whether the logistics can be worked out to make that viewing configuration happen remains to be seen. Regardless, those in attendance can expect to experience plenty of the creative dynamism that they have seen from Lehrer and company for the past 15 years.
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