She's given us Trolley Dances and Cabaret Dances, 25 years at UC San Diego and nearly 15 years directing San Diego Dance Theater. Her current company is one of the sharpest in years. If that weren't enough, Jean Isaacs is also enamored with new dance artists. This year's New Voices from San Diego Dance Theater at the Don Powell Theatre offered a knockout lineup.

Consider Ajanette Maraya Ramey. (She's shown her choreography at many venues, such as the nail biter Freedom and Confinement about a threesome trapped in hell, shown at Diversionary in January).

In Departure…Destination Unknown, Ramey utilized two pieces of luggage. "Not old suitcases," I muttered. That's been done before, with all of those metaphors about baggage and leaving. But Ramey's approach was inventive, unexpected, and visceral. Viviana Alcazar (who also danced in Freedom…) and Shannon Snyder bared their souls as a couple in a toxic relationship. The lyrics "this bitter earth" and "what good am I…" added to the train wreck experience. Forget counseling and run! In the end, the woman was left with nothing, which left viewers hoping the work wasn't drawn from a real life experience.

Anne Gehman's The Anniversary was an engaging study in tempo, with dancers moving in slow motion then bursting without warning. A complex score included classic pop tunes, piano, guitar and traffic sounds, which was a bit overwhelming. Still, unison sequences were silky smooth and bathed in lighting by Liz Swaffield (an SDSU design student).

Stephanie Smith joined five dancers in her work Take My Time. A throbbing score and green costumes instantly set a sci-fi tone. The ensemble appeared as statues, space travelers frozen in time. Upon awakening, they tapped their throats and strutted on Barbie doll feet. A piano score seemed to suggest they'd returned to Earth. Sections with hugs and overt pantomime were not fully realized.

Dances by SDDT company members Minaqua McPherson and Blythe Barton offered new insight into two of Isaacs' strongest female dancers.

A trio of women shared weight and pulled themselves up by their lower bellies in McPherson's A Woman's Thread, which spoke to the fortitude of women. Sashes at the waist and rich folk rhythms hinted at her Native American background. Images may have been more potent without lyrics.

Barton's Umbrage was an enigma. Barton is a lovely refined woman but her dance suggested she would do well in a chick fight. Set to a pounding score, movement was combative. Five women sized each other up, broke into two's and three's, and eventually softened to waltzing ball-changes. It was not meant to be pretty, and dancers were most arresting in domino-like falls.

The second half of the program included Isaacs' newly completed Hunters Trilogy and Bolivian Tango. If you missed them, call AeroMexico. Isaacs is setting the works on a company in Mexico City later this month, which would be worth the trip.

Barton played Trystan Loucado like a fiddle, literally, in Bolivian Tango, which exuded Isaacs' signature seductive humor.

Hunters Trilogy included a new section, the world premiere of Gatherers, a fantasy with forest nymphs set to jungle sounds of Costa Rica. Oh, where were the teenage boys for this one? Duet (2005) set to music by Steve Reich, paired Annie Boyer and John Diaz who twirled and tossed sticks to create various hunting images. The wow moment was the illusion that Diaz was floating, as Boyer pulled a long painted strip of fabric.

But the entire program was preparation for the thrilling finale, Hunters (2005), which Isaacs' dancers attacked in every way.

The subtle and masterful introduction - dancers slowly side step and coil their hands - was addicting, and Isaacs smartly repeated it. Standouts included Alana Burree and Bradley Lundberg in a rough and tumble encounter. Lundberg rolled her on his knee like a human bread stick before launching her into the air. It was a testament to physical training and trust. Also one to watch was Anthony Diaz who commanded the stage in cat-like leaps and landings.

Set and fabric design was by Rosemary KimBal. Costumes - which read as nude, painted bodies for the audience - were designed by Isaacs, KimBal and Anne Gehman.

Program

Artists biographies

Manuel Rotenberg's photo gallery