“What We Hold” is a reunion performance for a trio of choreographers—Stathas, Gerri Houlihan, and Marta Renzi—who came to know each other early in their careers. In addition to a long performance career, Houlihan is known as a respected educator and former dean of the American Dance Festival. Renzi ventured into award winning video and filmmaking. Stathas has recently formed Peter Stathas Dance after 30 years away from dance, when he directed a physical therapy practice. His company of four is featured tonight, along with two guest artists. The evening also honors Liz Thompson, who nurtured many artists as director of Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival from 1980 to 1990. 

There’s an innocence that comes through in Stathas’ “Trio.” About trust and connection, the dance explores a dynamic between three siblings—or, perhaps friends?—as they encounter quotidian ups and downs of their relationship. There is a section where dancers Ty Graynor and Lauren Twomley argue while Paulina Meneses takes a solo, adjacent to them. Later, Twomley pushes Graynor away and bonds with Meneses. The turns and jumps are old school modern dance, conducted with precision, arms in a balletic arc overhead. 

In Renzi’s “What Practice Makes” (1983), four dancers warm up and rehearse in the studio. They greet each other with hugs, and set about developing and learning steps and phrases. A bit of competition flares between then, but it’s all for the sake of the work. Graynor pats his thigh to signal he’s ready to catch a flying leap, then tussles Twomley’s hair after she lands it. When a complex lift isn’t quite happening, the group abandons it to work on a unison section. They come back to the lift, and this time it works. Congratulations all around. This is a charming look into the daily life of dancers, accompanied by a Beethoven string quartet.