Calvin Wilson, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

It's common for dance companies to be named for choreographers, such as Alvin Ailey and Martha Graham. But the Owen/Cox Dance Group takes things an additional step.

Founded in 2007, the Kansas City-based company reflects the vision of choreographer Jennifer Owen as well as her husband, composer Brad Cox. As its co-artistic directors, Owen says, they're as much concerned with music as with movement.    

Laura Vernaci, KCMetropolis.org

In honor of Owen/Cox Dance Group and newEar Contemporary Chamber Ensemble merging their talents, our two reviewers, Laura Vernaci and Lee Hartman, offer a he said/she said of their own.

Laura Vernaci’s Dance Take:

Owen/Cox Dance Group and newEar Contemporary Chamber Ensemble combined forces in front of a full house Friday night at the H&R Block City Stage Theater at Union Station. Chromatic Collaboration, the first performance for this partnership, brought together Owen/Cox’s fresh choreography and unique concepts with newEar’s eccentric and colorful instrumental compositions. Two of the six works in the mixed program spotlighted individual musical selections while the other four showcased the groups’ unified presentations.

Bill Brownlee, Special to The Kansas City Star

“Chromatic Collaboration,” the title of a joint venture between NewEar Contemporary Chamber Ensemble and the Owen/Cox Dance Group, provided artistically rewarding  thrills Saturday at the H&R Block City Stage at Union Station.

The pairing of the longtime purveyors of forward-looking classical music and the acclaimed dance company accentuated the strengths of both Kansas City-based ensembles. Dance accompanied music on four of the program’s six pieces. The daring combination contained a stimulating level of suspense.