The Quirky Love Song of Andrew J. Nemr Has Rhythm

Andrew J. Nemr and his CPD PLUS ensemble stepped out boldly in All for Love. Ya gotta root for tappers brave enough to go toe-to-toe with Phil Collins ("In the Air Tonight"), Nirvana ("Heart-Shaped Box"), Simon and Garfunkel ("Hazy Shade of Winter"), and Aerosmith ("Sweet Emotion"), among other counterintuitive—sometimes flat-out-wrong—choices. Too often aggressive, highly mic'd footfalls fought canned music, canceling each other out. Tap works best when music can breathe and coax fresh, interactive responses, not lockstep action, from dancers. (And can we agree to use fog makers sparingly, dramatically lit, and only when the scenario absolutely calls for it?) Standout performers included savvy Michelle Dorrance (making bubbly music, rocking out, or Lindy Hopping as the moment required), promising and charming Khalid Hill and Orlando Hern and of course Nemr, a lanky, moody-looking trickster who wears his Greg Hines–patented easygoing butchness well.