Lee Sunday Evans contributes solo interludes between the big group numbers. At first, these fusions of folk and modern dance seem out of place. But gradually it becomes clear that they serve a dual purpose. One is to create a respite for the ensemble dancers to catch their breath and change costumes (gorgeously silky, often bejeweled concoctions that must take a little doing to get in and out of). But these vignettes also seem to represent an attempt to connect past to present, reflecting Luleci's aesthetic of blending age-old folk traditions from around the world with a contemporary sensibility.
Luleci's goal is to make ''folk dance and music more accessible and interesting to a general audience," and he does a fine job enlivening sometimes rigid forms with dramatic context and eye-catching patterns -- lines, circles, and starlike shapes -- that seem to blossom and dissolve before our eyes.
The choreographer is most successful when he doesn't get too ambitious in combining disparate materials. The first half is a little slow going and disjunct, in part because of Luleci's predilection for abruptly juxtaposing a wide range of music. The jarring ending of ''Duality" followed an exotic ''Allegro" by Emre Araci with the Shaker hymn ''Simple Gifts." And some of Luleci's dances get mired in dramatic constructs, making for puzzling, long, multisection pieces that don't hold together well.
But the second half is worth waiting for, starting with a commanding, beautifully tempered solo by Luleci himself, followed by a lively group dance of rigorous, intricate footwork. The best piece on the program is the rousing finale ''balkanBLUES," which showcases a swing dance, a sweet communal dance for the women, and a thundering stomp dance as part of a ritual of awakening.
