“Front Porch Lies” and “Daughter of a Buffalo Soldier” came to Oberlin last weekend. These dance works were choreographed and performed by students under the direction of guest choreographer Dianne McIntyre over this past Winter Term.

On opening night, McIntyre welcomed her Oberlin audience, embracing the crowd, describing them as the missing “ingredient” in her dance-making process. By this, she meant that a piece can only truly come into its own on performance night when both audience and dancers become acquainted.

 “Front Porch Lies” was choreographed for and premiered by Oberlin Winter Term students. McIntyre’s choreography easily matched each dancer’s ability without looking at all simplistic.

McIntyre immediately established community among the dancers through the act of storytelling. She created a stage full of her own culture. The piece was punctuated with crafted stillness that complimented the story being told. Pantomime induced audience members to use their imaginations to become part of the story.

The full-bodied laughter of the audience showed that they appreciated watching dance as entertainment. Through joyful storytelling and constant movement McIntyre brought humor not often seen in modern dance.

The underlying mood of the second half of the program was weighted and somber compared to the euphoric high of the first piece. The second piece of the program, “Daughter of a Buffalo Soldier,” was created by McIntyre to honor dancer/choreographer Marjory Whitt Johnson, OC ’35. Johnson cultivated the nationally recognized Karamu Dancers, a modern dance company based in Cleveland from 1935-1945. McIntyre’s piece incorporated reconstructed excerpts from their 1945 performance at the World’s Fair.

“Buffalo Soldier” was comprised of vignettes in which the dancers took turns telling Johnson’s story, with specific characters signified by certain costume props. Oberlin College dancers blended seamlessly into the Cleveland Contemporary Dance Theater Company.

Although lengthy, “Buffalo Soldier” presented a salient plot and exemplified the struggles of black women in the 1930s. In this piece, McIntyre utilized humor in a different capacity. It relieved tensions by keeping the audience engaged in a story that would have otherwise been difficult to digest.

Since graduating from Ohio State, McIntyre has garnered an impressive resume: Among her accomplishments are three Bessie Awards, the equivalent to an Oscar or Grammy in the field of dance, founding the Sounds and Motion Dance Company, residencies at American Dance Festival and Jacob’s Pillow and choreographing works for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and various Broadway productions.

By the end of the evening, McIntyre demonstrated her instinctive ability to tell compelling stories by incorporating a variety of modes and mediums.