The Dance: Ann Carlson's 'Animals'

By JACK ANDERSON

Published: February 7, 1988

ANN CARLSON had people dance like - and with - animals on Thursday night at the Bessie Schonberg Theater. Her ''Animals'' was an eloquent five-part work that examined differences between people and animals, yet affirmed the kinship of all beings. 

''Scared Goats Faint'' featured a solo dancer (Susan Rethorst), a vocal ensemble and two placid goats. After attendants carried the goats out, Ms. Rethorst entered their pen and staggered desperately while the ensemble chanted cryptic statements and made ominous noises. Despite the title, the goats didn't faint; Ms. Rethorst did. 

Animal innocence and human worry and guilt were often contrasted in this production, which was designed by Todd Gilens with lighting by Tony Giovannetti. Patrick Riordan, Clare Maxwell and Dispena Giamadakos behaved like happy ducks in ''Duck, Baby.'' A dog sat blinking throughout ''The Dog Inside the Man'' while Ms. Carlson paced, read letters aloud and barked commands at an imaginary dog. Whereas the real dog was not on a leash, Ms. Carlson metaphorically was: she was tied by her responsibilities toward the people in her letters. 

The dog was cute. So were the goats. But not all animals are cute. Ms. Carlson acknowledged this in ''Sarah,'' in which she made liquid, enticing gestures beside a pedestal on which sat a bowl with a goldfish in it. Because the accompanying song concerned a man-eating whale, the solo was a reminder that people and whales can be equally dangerous. 

In the extraordinary ''Visit Woman Move Story Cat Cat Cat,'' Ms. Carlson, totally nude, frisked about with feline movements, then picked up a kitten. She resembled a mother cat. Yet, given the tenderness of her actions, she could have been any loving mother. Significantly, whereas other sequences were accompanied by tape collages and music by Andy Kirshner, this one was performed to the noble movement from Beethoven's Quartet No. 15 (Op. 132) that Beethoven himself termed ''a holy song of thanksgiving.'' 

''Animals'' was a holy dance. It will be repeated Thursday through next Sunday.

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