Arts review: The Propelled Heart – Lisa Fischer shines with Alonzo King Lines Ballet from Frisco

San Francisco’s Alonzo King Lines Ballet made its Hong Kong debut with The Propelled Heart, a collaboration between King as choreographer and celebrated singer Lisa Fischer.

Fast-paced and entertaining, the piece is dominated by Fischer’s extraordinary vocals and makes a fine showcase for the spectacular athleticism and energy of the company’s dancers.

The title is taken from the writings of Indian guru Sri Yukteswar and refers to a stage of development in life where the heart is propelled to explore the nature of the universe and the meaning of truth.

This kind of philosophical concept is never easy to translate into dance, and choreographically the work doesn’t have the substance required to bring it off. The underlying themes are better expressed through words than movement and the most profound moments come from Fischer’s singing rather than the dancing.

The production succeeds better in the interaction between dancers and singer (Fischer is on stage most of the time) and how the dancers reflect with their bodies what she is doing with her voice. The score mixes original electronic music by J.C. Maillard - which incorporates abstract vocals with the voice as pure instrument - with a selection of songs.