PRELIMINARY STUDY FOR DEPTH: THE UPPER HALF OF HIGH AND LOW  

LINCOLN CENTER OUT OF DOORS. NEW YORK PREMIERE - August 15, 2009                  "The sheer craftsmanship of Mr. Dendy’s dances was obvious, through-the-body energy from every performer gave it excitement, and the high level of mixture of psychology and populism was compelling. In particular Mr. Dendy can handle an ensemble of 16 or more (there were 24 dancers in all) in developing patterns, with contrasts of background and foreground, latitude and longitude, left and right, that were on several occasions mesmerizing... “Preliminary Study for Depth: The Upper Half of High and Low,” had qualities that would add distinction to many a Broadway production.''                                                                                                                                    Alastair MaCaulay THE NEW YORK TIMES

"Dendy’s “Study for Depth” conjures a rather militant youth anthem. Dancers cut forcefully across the stage in inexorable patterns inspired by M.C. Escher’s mind bending lithographs. Mr. Dendy’s phrases often double back on themselves, seemingly to implode before the audience’s eyes. Relentless… Striking. The final image is chilling. The age of man is over, the age of the dancer has begun"                                                                                                                                                    Claudia La Rocco THE NEW YORK TIMES                                                                         http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/18/arts/dance/18fest.html



GOLDEN BELT

GOLDEN BELT. DOWNTOWN DURHAM, NC. Site-specific work - July 2009                           
"Another Dendy Dandy. Choreographer drums up another winning piece at Golden Belt.''                                                                                                                                              
Cliff Bellamy  THE HERALD SUN
 
                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                    

I’M GOING TO MY ROOM TO BE COOL NOW, AND I DON’T WANT TO BE DISTURBED           

"Dendy is a most unusual talent. The wild, mad, beautiful and extraordinarily energized choreography is all danced to Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Grace Slick, Lou Reed, Joni Mitchell, The Temptations, even ends up with a runaround finale to Led Zeppelin. The dances are brilliant!"                                                                                                                                                      Clive Barnes THE NEW YORK POST                                                                                                                                  

"Mr. Dendy’s piece is an expertly staged and directed suite of dances set to music of the time, performed by dancers who defy the laws of gravity, with supple technical skill and unflagging energy. The good time that he and his dancers are having is infectious.''                                                                                                                                            Jennifer Dunning THE NEW YORK TIMES                                                                           http://www.nytimes.com/2001/01/13/arts/dance-review-teenage-pickup-gambits-all-to-the-tunes-of-the-70-s.html

"It is at once homage and send-up, reminiscence and clinical observation. Dendy’s new piece, with its irresistible title, irrepressible rock songs and uncanny combination of fun and angst, frequently walks that fine line between passion and parody in recalling a sexual coming of age in the 70’s."                                                                                                                                       Sylviane Young  NEW YORK NEWSDAY
                                                                                                                                 

"Mark Dendy Dance and Theater’s world premiere of “Cool Now” provided an evening of pure pleasure. With his flair for the dramatic, erotic, stylish, funky and wild, Dendy with his dancers concocted a dance that proved modern dance can be good and entertaining too."                      Susan Broili  THE DURHAM HERALD SUN                                                                                                                 

"Dendy Dance and Theater got their reticent Santa Barbara audience up on its feet with “Cool Now”, a piece easily accessible to a broad audience that hit its mark in brio and brilliance. And that’s not to say the work doesn’t present its challenges."                          
Korina R. Jochim THE SANTA BARBARA HERALD                                                                                                         


DREAM ANALYSIS                                                                                                                   

"Dendy turns symmetry and twinning into the stuff of nightmares, schizophrenia and ribaldry… For all the mordant hilarity there is fine choreography and terrific performing… Both thrilling and deeply funny. Dendy confounds such distinctions all the time."                                                        Deborah Jowitt VILLAGE VOICE                                                


"It is hard to imagine the dance to come quite measuring up to the daring and accomplishment of the program presented by Mark Dendy Dance and Theater on Sunday night. The dance play worked triumphantly with Mr. Dendy performing a Penn and Teller juggling routine of writing, choreographing, direction and dancing without dropping one of the seeming dozens of disparate characters, plot lines or thought provoking themes. If anyone could pull this of, it would be Mr. Dendy, a blithe spirit with a varied, solid career in dance and theater. Still, his achievement here is something of a miracle."                                                                                           Jennifer Dunning THE NEW YORK TIMES                                                http://www.nytimes.com/1998/08/29/arts/dance-review-a-nightmare-in-search-of-six-characters.html?sec=&spon= 


"The play is wonderfully economical. Never before have I seen dream logic, substitutions, apparitions and associations put to such good use on a stage. “Dream Analysis” ends with the two Nijinsky doing a hoppy new style version of the original “Afternoon of the Faunes”. Tortured in his life, the great dancer now sent a blessing from afar.''                                                                     Joan Acocella THE WALL STREET JOURNAL