THE ''Choreographer's Showcase'' that Evolving Arts Inc. presented Sunday night at Dance Space Inc. (622 Broadway, between Bleecker and Houston Streets) contained 11 dances by 12 choreographers. The apparent discrepancy between the number of creators and the number of works created is explained by the fact that one of those dances had two choreographers. Even so, 11 dances is a lot.
Yet the program was not a jumble. Evolving Arts is an organization that is especially interested in promoting jazz dance as a concert form, rather than simply as a type of commercial entertainment. Appropriately, therefore, though works in other idioms were offered, many of the 11 dances were somehow indebted to jazz, either in their style of movement or in their recorded accompaniments. However, some of those dances would not have looked out of place in a commercial revue or cabaret show.
One remarkable thing about the program was its length. Though it contained 11 dances, it lasted less than two hours. Clearly, the choreographers chosen by Evolving Arts were not encouraged to drag their feet. Rather, all made choreographic statements as concisely as possible.
Several works were of special interest. The most striking of them was ''Imperfect Cry,'' a modern-dance solo choreographed and performed by Robin Becker who, through her poses in and movements around a rocking chair, created a portrait of a frustrated woman.
In Laurie DeVito's well-crafted ''Black Coffee,'' Diane McCarthy portrayed a lonely woman who struck at the air in her unhappiness. If this woman had ever sat down, she would certainly have poured herself coffee and started chain-smoking. Also dramatic in its movement quality was ''In Cave,'' Yukie Okuyama's solo for herself in which languid swayings were interrupted by sharp, decisive movements.
Andrew Pacho, Kenneth Pervine, Ted Pollen 3d and Yasushi Tanaka resembled well-dressed young businessmen in N. Ridgway Wise's ''Hard Day on the Planet.'' The way they thrust themselves aggressively at space could have been interpreted as a commentary on the struggles of the business world. Or one could simply have viewed it as a study in kinetic energy. Cynthia Pratt's ''Doo-Wop Medley'' was equally energetic in its surging runs and sudden falls. But, as performed by members of Ms. Pratt's company, the She-Bops and Scats, it was purely in fun.
The movements in still other dances had their own dramatic qualities. ''Home-Run,'' choreographed and danced by Ariel Herrera, gained tension because of the way passages of quick movement were suddenly interrupted by wary pauses. In Holly Fairbank's ''Parallel Lives,'' Ms. Fairbank and Renouard Gee slowly approached each other. Then they danced, often in unison, but rarely touching, and they held each other only to break apart again.
''Piacevoli,'' choreographed and danced by Sara Grindle and Bonnie Nedrow, was languid and Cherylyn Lavagnino's ''Fine Lines,'' for herself and Robin Staff, was delicate. In contrast, Katherine Shapiro's ''Something About,'' danced by Ms. Shapiro and Eileen Walsh, looked tense and Patrice Soriero's ''Wise Up'' became almost frantic in its depiction of squabblings between Erzsebet Foldi and Akiko Yasukawa.
If nothing else, the 12 choreographers managed to make clear and simple statements in movement and their dances were so brief that it was impossible for tedium to set in. How many of these choreographers are also capable of developing more complex movement ideas over longer periods of time is something that only another concert could reveal.
