‘A Broken Key’ strings together different themes

Reviewed by Sarah Kuras

While a piano played softly, out of the dark stepped three dancers. Each of them wove in and out of the music while a fourth dancer sat at a piano bench,  mimicking the motions of a pianist.

So began A Broken Key, the dance performance featured this past weekend at Binghamton University’s Anderson Center for the Performing Arts.

‘A Broken Key’ brings pieces together this weekend at BU

A Broken Key, a dance performance at Binghamton University which opens this weekend, is directed by JoEllen Kuhlman, an Owego native who teaches at Kathy Hansen School of Dance in Apalachin and has studied dance for 26 years.

By Sarah Kuras

Tell me the story behind A Broken Key.

A Broken Key is based off one piece of music, “It’s Gonna Be A Long Walk” by Apparat. I started with the music and then developed the concept. There is a variety of styles of music — classical, contemporary. The show has 10 separate numbers; some pieces are smooth, some are accented. All of them are different; for example, one of the pieces is very emotional. It’s a ballet with contemporary and modern styles. It is a very athletic show with partnering.