Rebecca Salzer and Alicia Peterson Baskel created and performed fine work long before they arrived at UC San Diego. But they created a real buzz in the New Directions Choreographers' Showcase last June with highly investigated dances that merge movement with text, dramatic theater and video.

Now in their second MFA year, Salzer and Baskel continue to impress with their witty and imaginative choreography and design choices. Their compelling dances, supported by superlative lighting, sets, costumes and sound, are smartly directed and highlight winterWORKS on view at the Potiker Theatre through Saturday.

Generations, choreographed

by Rebecca Salzer.

^{Photo by Manuel Rotenberg}

The program of five dances opens with Generations by Salzer, a whimsical satire on the improbability of human reproduction. Seven pregnant dancers take orders from an operatic woman in black. They belly buck with giant balloons and break into hip-hop rhythms. Another surprsise is that one with a precious bump is a handsome Asian man. Costumes by Alina Bokovikova are sickenly pastel - Pepto pink , baby blue, gag green - and ruffled, which adds to the oh-so-sweet matronly tone.

But Salzer doesn't forget those dreadful feelings of freakdom that plague pregnancy, usually while shopping in a grocery store. A woman screams out "What are you looking at!?" And back to those balloons. Near the end, dancers float over the stage with their upper torsos inside the balloons, like giant babies or eggs. The opening scene with a warm human pulsating inside a big bag is also mesmerizing thanks to excellent lighting by Wen-Ling Liao.

Untitled; Center of the Universe, a defining work created and performed by Baskel is, frankly, difficult to describe. Program notes suggest it "questions what we consider known in movement, performance, and especially life…" What is known is that Baskel is a likeable performer and clever choreographer who draws the audience into the performance as it unfolds.

Her obsessive compulsive movement is as unexpected as the score she moves to. Sound designer Omar Ramos creates the score in real time by looping snippets of her ridiculous banter. She announces that she has to start over and apologizes for not being Lady GaGa. And she really wants to wear a navy blue spandex astronaut suit. The fantasy expands with the arrival of seven more dancers in navy spandex who mimic her moves and speak over each other. Humorous and unpredictable, the dance could easily be chaotic, but Baskel is a captivating ringleader and maintains an orderly madness.

An Archive of Happiness, by Allyson Green, is a poignant and ambitious tribute to choreographers Merce Cunningham and Pina Bausch who died in the summer of 2009. Whether you like it or not will certainly depend on your understanding of the two legendary artists and their impact on contemporary dance. Standouts include Matthew Armstrong as Merce and Samara Kaplan as Pina who embody their flesh and movement style, and Ashley Walters on cello. The finely edited score, by composer Alan Stones and Green, is particularly engaging as layers are heard from different speakers throughout the space. Hearing the voice of Merce describing his process and Pina muttering in German is a bittersweet experience that marks time and triggers memories of their work. The score is more polished than the ensemble dances that range from slow parade walks and tapping to soft shoe and waltzes. With so many visual and sonic elements the dance becomes scattered. Still, the piece ends with dancers marveling at a sparkling tower of metal staircases that don't go anywhere but up, a strange yet touching tribute to the visionary artists who are now stardust.

Classical Indian and contemporary forms combine in DeepLight, a collaboration between Patricia Rincon and Divya Devaguptapu. Set to a score by Anoushka Shankar, Devaguptapu is riveting as she tells the story of the Hindu God Shiva with expressive hands and solid presence. It should be a solo just for her. A corps of attractive dancers stretches into yoga forms with zeal, but too many bodies and zombie stares become a distraction. The movement isn't sustainable and cannot compete with Devaguptapu's elegant vocabulary and powerful gaze.

Between "may" and "be," by Liam Clancy, is a structured improvisation with a future. Upbeat and quirky, the work in progress has strong bones, and the energized cast embraces Clancy's madcap laid-back style. They can dance and deliver dialogue on the fly, which is a treat to watch. Expect to see them cavorting in a fully set piece sometime soon.

WinterWORKS continues at the Potiker Theatre through Saturday.

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