Teicher and Gareiss kick off fall Pillow program with syncopated style

Caleb Teicher, left, and Nic Gareiss performed the inaugural fall program at Jacob's Pillow on Friday night. 

For more than 90 years, Jacob’s Pillow has been a summer destination for dance devotees.
 
But this weekend, for the first time in its storied history, the Pillow is hosting a weekend of fall performances with the duo Caleb Teicher and Nic Gareiss. These fine technicians of the feet – Teicher, a tap master; and Gareiss, a lord of Irish step and Appalachian clogging — melded their styles in a seamless love letter to the percussive power of the heel, sole and toe.
 
These two appeared like siblings, united in their respect for the art in which they represent a healthy portion. (The metaphor with the shared muffin, a bit they performed on a bench, informed us all.) And the program, in the newly built Doris Duke Theatre is equal parts homespun and sophisticated. These two artists, particularly together, must be seen as their synchronicity elevates them both.
 
The program began with a calm Gareiss appearing barefoot, circling the square stage in the center of the theater, which is set up in the round. As Gareiss wheeled around, he offered glimpses of his foot power – a slide here and little pound there, accented with Irish skips and hops. He makes way for Teicher who runs to the stage, barefooted too, but in a more exuberant and jocular manner. Teicher starts the audience laughing – clearly delineating who is the comic relief.
 
The two add socks and then shoes to their back and forth on the stage, equipped with microphones, until they are together creating joyous and syncopated rhythms on the boards.
 
At first, I was disappointed that they were not accompanied by musicians. But these two, and their symbiotic relationship, are so intriguing that no musicians were needed. Besides, they also sang. Gareiss started out the vocals by singing and dancing to “John Brown’s Dream,” a traditional square dance tune that he punctuated with square dance calls.
 
Teicher sang too – first on the previously mentioned bench with Gareiss – and then after they spread sand on the stage to step and slide as they sang Irving Berlin’s “Blue Skies.” Teicher is a limber dancer that startles with his athleticism, especially with the jumps that land low and nearly horizontal to the floor. Teicher’s dashes are accented by their hand play, claps, slaps and finger snaps.
 
Gareiss, who offered up a sweet tribute to his Irish dance teacher with “Scraping for Peggy” on the sandy floor, tempered Teicher’s energy with a calming, optimistic strength. Together, their union melted into one, beautiful universe of soulful and sentimental sounds.
 
The highly recommended program will be repeat at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Oct. 25 and 2 p.m. Oct 26. Tickets can be purchased at www.jacobspillow.org.