Get Out this Weekend: Spectrum Dance @ the Moore

One thing about Spectrum Dance Theater's shows is that the dancers have to act fast, and they seem to expect the same of the audience--their "Icono-Clan" show is at the Moore for two shows this weekend, and that's it.

On the bill are three works--the first by Merce Cunningham (Hello, Centralia!), then Gus Solomons, Jr., and finally the hot-button-pushing Donald Byrd.

The patriarch of the clan is clearly Cunningham, but Solomons choreographed for the Merce Cunningham company from 1964-68, and he spotted the young Byrd, bruised by his ejection from the Twyla Tharp company, and invited him to join his dance group in '76. (Years later, Solomons got the title role in Byrd's breakout hit, The Harlem Nutcracker.) For more on Byrd's tumultuous backstory, check out Michael Upchurch's story.

Merce Cunningham's Landrover had its premiere at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in 1972, and Spectrum’s revival marks the first time Northwest audiences have had a chance to see the work. Spectrum is also reconstructing Statements of Nameless Roots, by Solomons. Byrd's Sentimental Cannibalism closes the night with a take on seduction and the gender war. You're hereby warned that it's not for kids 14 and under.

As much as we've taken to Byrd's hyperkinetic style, we also love that he doesn't dance "around" adult themes and conflicts in work. When you go to a Spectrum show, it feels a bit more New York than other venues--less populated by Cornish dance students, and more by a seasoned dance audience that expect Byrd to talk to them like grown-ups. Which he does, though grown-up here means the opposite of staid, falling more on the "survived some crazy shit" side.

Saturday 8 p.m., Sunday 5 p.m. // the Moore Theatre, 1932 Second Avenue // Tickets: $15-$29.50 (plus fees)