Imagining how the world and humankind began is generally reserved for astrophysicists and religious scholars, not ballet companies. But the seven dancers that collided, embraced and whirled through the history of the cosmos in Compagnie La Baraka's San Diego debut March 1 offered a compelling interpretation.

French Algerian choreographer Abou Lagraa isn't afraid of big subjects and in Un Monde en Soi (A World in Itself), he asks viewers to ponder the origin of life, from the Big Bang to human evolution and its many complexities. Even if you're not a fan of John Cage's atonal music, there is clarity in Abou Lagraaa's choreography and design that will stick with you.

The dance opens with lights flashing and the Debussy String Quartet scraping and tapping like fingernails on a blackboard. Dancers dressed in black business slacks with hints of glitter appear as exploding energy sources that begin a circular orbit. Fluid yet forceful, they flinch each time they pass another body.

One man's spasms trigger others to follow and move to the center. Dancers press forward, and their arm gestures suggest they're carrying newborns. The next moment they are on the floor and rise into V-shaped contractions. Their articulation is impressive, and each unison sequence is so precise that they don't always seem human. They nuzzle and sniff each other like dogs.

There are universal moments of human desire, loneliness, and violence. In one section, two men size each other up and attack, tossing and leaping over each other. It is beautiful and athletic dancing, but it's also disturbing and contrasts with an oddly sweet musical section. One man is white, the other dark skinned, and they finally seem to make peace; perhaps Lagraa is exploring racial strife as part of this journey.

An equally strong section has four shirtless men confined to a tight area of light. They flail wildly with flat palms, as if trapped inside an elevator. A flash of light and poof, a woman is also in the group, which changes the dynamic immensely. The muscled men squeeze her until she is lost in the crowd, but she survives and balances in a proud extension.

The three women and four men in the company respond to the live music with a tense awareness. Imbedded within the twitchy movement and seamless lifts are the ensemble's diverse cultural backgrounds and styles, such as Africa, South America, Europe, and the United States. And you can clearly detect technical training, such as rock solid cores, perfect fifth positions, and commanding focus. It is remarkable that they can remember this abstract and physically demanding vocabulary.

Still, there is no intermission, and about three-quarters of the way through Un Monde en Soi, one begins to wonder how this ambitious exploration will end. And why does Lagraa sandwich Bach's (Sarabande de la suite No. 5) with Cage and Webern? Granted, Bach does offer viewers some firm and familiar ground.

Visual and sonic elements truly connect for the audience near the very end. The musicians move around again like celestial orbs, yet the eerie tone is more urgent than before. Dancers begin to flail wildly. They repeat the circular arm gesture, grab the air, and clump together.

Suddenly, there is an immediate sense of the macro and micro, as if a microscope had zoomed in to the head of a pin.

However, the point of this journey has to be the final image of dancers swinging their arms like propellers, up over their heads again and again. Finally one man is left, twirling as a Dervish, a blur with arms outstretched. The wonder and beauty of the spinning human form are visceral and unforgettable.

Program

Un Monde en Soi was presented by ArtPower! and several generous sponsors. Its innovative dance season continues with Wonderland 2011, a festival of international contemporary dance on Mar. 31, Apr. 1 and Apr. 2. Co-presenters are Sushi Performance and Visual Art, and UCSD Dept. of Theatre and Dance.