Shigehiro Ide is back on stage with his dance company Idevian Crew after all too long an absence from performing. His comeback in "Which," the piece he choreographed to open the Next Dance Festival at Shinjuku Park Tower Hall Feb. 18, establishes him as the most promising dancer/choreographer on the scene.

The audience reaction to "Which" was so enthusiastic that the Tokyo venue could have easily scheduled extra performances were it not for the other three dance companies taking part in the festival. Ide has shown himself to be endlessly inventive with group choreography on abstract themes, so it was refreshing to have the curtain go up on the opening Japanese funeral scene in "Which." Like many European dance companies, Idevian Crew is becoming increasingly antiglamor, and the costumes of black suits for the men, dresses and kimono for the women, and the occasional school uniform, were uncompromising against the vertical funeral black and white bunting hung on three sides. The stage was covered with tatami, an interesting departure for the 14 or so barefoot dancers that allowed rhythmic patterns for the feet to produce a sibilant accompaniment during silences.

Ide set all this to mamba, sambo, a selection of songs that sounded like Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass and a synthesized version of "The Great Gate of Kiev" march from Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition," among other pieces of music. The contrasting score was illuminated by his clear, vivid movement ideas; hip and groin jerks with deadpan facial expressions, swimming arm patterns as dancers reversed course, flowing hand gestures and simple actions. In one early scene, he provided acute sociological observation in showing how people at a funeral take their emotional cues from the lead mourners. This collective psychological portrait turned into a hilarious scene in which the dancers used sketchy mime gestures to try to persuade another dancer to perform.