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Beauty Awakened

American Ballet Theatre
“The Sleeping Beauty”
Metropolitan Opera House
New York, NY
June 27, 2016

by Leigh Witchel
copyright © 2016 by Leigh Witchel

Don’t you love happy endings? A year ago, Alexei Ratmansky’s reconstruction of “The Sleeping Beauty” looked historically important, but not like a work of living theater. American Ballet Theater’s dancers looked uncomfortable and stilted; some of the technique looked uncongenial to current technique, as if you insisted that a pianist play a harpsichord with no training.

Isabella Boylston and Joseph Gorak in “The Sleeping Beauty.”  Photo © Rosalie O’Connor.

Unearthing Stories

“The Planet-Eaters: Seconds”
Will Rawls
Diker Pavilion, National Museum of the American Indian
River to River Festival
Lower Manhattan Cultural Council
June 22, 2016

by Martha Sherman
copyright © 2016 by Martha Sherman

The Diker Pavilion was an inspired locale for Will Rawls’ “The Planet-Eaters: Seconds.” Among the many pleasures of the River-to-River Festival, Lower Manhattan’s annual paean to contemporary dance and performance, are the settings, which celebrate the beautiful and diverse spaces and views that Manhattan’s southern tip offers. “Planet Eaters” isn’t a site-specific work (it was last seen at the Chocolate Factory in Long Island City.) But in the circular space of the Diker Pavilion, surrounded by the “Circle of Dance” --full-sized dioramas of Native American tribal dancers in glorious costumes-- Rawls and his performing partner, musician Chris Kuklis, looked right at home.

Chris Kuklis, Will Rawls in “The Planet Eaters: Seconds.” Photo © Darial Sneed.

First Step Taken

"Joe & Ida," "Portrait," "Z" "Duet from Concerto Six Twenty-Two" "Lickety Split"
SFDanceworks
ODC Theater
San Francisco, CA
June 23, 2016

by Rita Felciano
copyright © Rita Felciano 2016

You can’t be risk-averse to start a new enterprise. If it involves the arts, even more so: no venture capitalists are likely to step forward with big money. It helps if you have friends and colleagues who believe in you. It particularly helps if you are a much-admired, longtime soloist with San Francisco Ballet. Such as James Sofranko. The inaugural season of his SFDanceworks came with many good wishes from the packed ODC Theatre, and probably few walked away disappointed.  Sofranko put together a well-thought out, well-danced evening of three world premieres and reprises by Lar Lubovitch and Alejandro Cerrudo. One of this debut's real pleasures was seeing dancers, so familiar from other contexts such as Anne Zivolich-Adams (ODC Dance), Dana Genshaft and Garrett Anderson (SFBallet), Kendall Teague (Silicon Valley Ballet), Ben Needham-Wood (Smuin Ballet) in a fresh context and a more intimate venue. They were joined by Amber Neumann and Tobin Del Cuore. If this first program felt overly cautious, maybe the next time around Sofranko can be more adventuresome. What do they say? “Follow your bliss,” the money will follow

Garrett Anderson and Tobin Del Cuore in "Concerto Six Twenty-Two". Photo © Andrew Weeks.

All is forgiven

"Giselle"
The National Ballet of Canada
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
Toronto, Canada
June 15, 2016

By Denise Sum
copyright © 2016 by Denise Sum

There are few ballets as enduring as "Giselle". This recent inspired performance from the National Ballet of Canada proved that even 175 years after its premiere, this Romantic era classic still has tremendous power to stir the hearts of dancers and ballet goers alike. The enduring story of love, betrayal, and redemption is artfully told in this production by Sir Peter Wright. The contrast between the earthly and vibrant first act and the haunting and spiritual second act creates a sense of wholeness in this ballet -- a sort of yin and yang. "Giselle" is also at its core a ballet about dancing itself. Dance is presented in turn as an expression of joy and danger. This opening night truly belonged to the leading dancers, Svetlana Lunkina and Harrison James, who was recently promoted to principal dancer. Together their performance was a tour de force of spirited dancing and impressive dramatic skill. The performance was dedicated in memory of the production's set and costume designer, Desmond Heeley, who passed away just days prior.

Svetlana Lunkina and Harrison James in "Le Petit Prince". Photo by Aleksandar Antonijevic.

Fine Weather Fare

 

“Flying Cloud Cotillion”, “Crowdambo”, “Five”, Rue Noir”, 

“A Change Is Gonna Come”, “Festival”

Chamber Dance Project

The Lansburgh Theatre

Washington, DC

June 23, 2016

 

by George Jackson

copyright 2016 by George Jackson 

 
Summers in and about Washington used to be hot, humid and hopping with dance. This year’s weather has been temperate and, probably for reasons that have nothing to do with temperature or moisture, the area’s open air theaters aren’t particularly interested in presenting dance. Wolf Trap is offering a little (Riverdance and American Ballet Theatre’s “Romeo and Juliet”) and Carter Barron is still promising the season’s schedule “soon”. All the more reason to be grateful for Diane Coburn Bruning’s project – a small, summer-only company of dancers on annual vacation from their regular fall-winter-spring work. Not hidden in the pit but sharing the stage are musicians - two types during the current run, either a string quartet or a brass marching band. Repertory for performances through June 26 consists of four dance pieces and two primarily musical ones.

 

 

The Love that Binds

"for the Time Being," "Line of Beauty"
Deborah Slater Dance Theater
Noh Space Theater, San Francisco
June 19, 2016

by Rita Felciano
copyright © Rita Felciano, 2016

Deborah Slater has been making dance theater works for over twenty-five years. Drawing on the writings of poets, scientists, playwrights, painters, architects and historians, her dance-making throws spotlights on issues raised from many perspectives. So it’s often possible to sit through a work being challenged intellectually by rather complex ideas and at the same time watching choreography that might pull your attention to physically concrete ways of understanding. You might learn something about sleep disorders, hotel furniture, the aging process or the fate of veterans. It’s challenging, fascinating but often not an easy way of connecting to dance. However, in her newest work, “for the Time Being”, she draws on her dancers' input not only choreographically but also on the generating ideas behind it. In some ways the piece looks like a follow up on last year’s “The Line of Beauty.” Both pieces deserve a larger audience than the fifty-seat theater Noh Space offered part of this year’s FURY Factory Festival.

Deborah Slater Dance Theater in "for the Time Being". Photo © Robbie Sweeney

Old, New and Borrowed

"Deep", "Piazzola Caldera", "Revelations"
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
David H. Koch Theater
New York, NY
June 11, 2016 matinee

Carol Pardo
Copyright ©2016 by Carol Pardo

There was nothing all blue at this performance by the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater but there was something old, the evergreen "Revelations", new "Deep", Mauro Bigonzetti's second work for the company, less than twenty-four hours old, and borrowed, Paul Taylor's  "Piazzola Caldera", added to the repertory last year.

Going it Alone Together

"Manifesting," "Stay"
Hope Mohr Dance
ODC Theater, San Francisco
June 9, 2016

by Rita Felciano
copyright © Rita Felciano, 2016

From Aristotle to Artaud, and Martha Graham to Yvonne Rainer artists have theorized about the nature and purpose of what they are doing. Some of those thoughts have found themselves condensed into manifestos. There are probably as many perspectives on the creative process as there are artists. One way or another, the creators are stuck on the unstable ground of the what, how, where and why of their work. Studies of those statements motivated Hope Mohr's “Manifesting”, a smart and multi-faceted sextet for moving, singing and talking dancers. Mohr is known for intellectually challenging pieces; here she created something like a comedy of the absurd about the self-doubts with which every artist struggles. Whatever sympathy she may have for externally imposed parameters, she ended up with what she calls in the piece to “stand self-reliantly.” The questions are important but this forty-minute piece works not because of the what but because of the how.  If that is also a manifesto, so be it. The reprise of last year’s “Stay” made Mohr’s an intelligent, demanding and yet sensuously pleasing ninth anniversary season.

Hope Mohr dancers in "Manifesting." Photo Margo Moritz

 

Lost in Translation

"Le Petit Prince"
The National Ballet of Canada
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
Toronto, Canada
June 4, 2016

By Denise Sum
copyright © 2016 by Denise Sum

The classic French novella "Le Petit Prince" makes interesting material for a new ballet, with plenty of imagination, fantasy, and philosophical explorations. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's well-loved tale is multifaceted, with critical observations and profound truths abound behind the seemingly simple fable. The challenge, of course, lies in how to faithfully transfer the ideas of "Le Petit Prince" into movement. Principal dancer and choreographic associate Guillaume Côté undertook his biggest and most ambitious project to date with this ballet, his first full-length work. It follows on the heels of his abstract one act piece "Being and Nothingness", based on the writings of Jean-Paul Sartre, which the company premiered a year ago. He has collaborated with prominent Canadian set and costume designer Michael Levine, not only on the designs, but also on the "Creative Concept" as the program credits states. "Le Petit Prince" also features an original score by Kevin Lau, lighting by David Finn, and video design by Finn Ross. Unfortunately, despite a talented team and a $2 million budget, "Le Petit Prince" felt gimmicky and largely fell short in conveying the timeless magic and poetry of Saint-Exupéry's story.

Dylan Tedaldi in "Le Petit Prince". Photo © Karolina Kuras.

Looking for a Hero

"The Golden Cockerel"
American Ballet Theatre
Metropolitan Opera House
New York, NY
June 8, 2016, matinee and June 9, 2016

by Mary Cargill 
copyright © 2016 by Mary Cargill

Ballets inspired by the 1905 Russo-Japanese War are rare, but the ignominious and humiliating defeat of Russia by the here-to-fore unheralded Japanese was a profound shock to the Western powers. Rimsky-Korsakov reacted by composing an opera based on a Pushkin poem which was an adaptation of a Washington Irving story inspired by studying Moorish Spain--multiculturalism in action. Pushkin Russianized the Irving story and the lazy, greedy, incompetent Tsar Dodon who breaks his word and suffers for it at the hands of the Astrologer and his golden cockerel, is probably an indirect reference to Tsar Nicholas I, who Pushkin felt had betrayed him. Certainly Rimsky-Korsakov meant his Tsar to represent Nicholas II, with the fictional Tsar Dodon's vainglorious General Polkan frustrated by the feckless Boyars, his incompetent sons killed by friendly fire, and a mysterious and heartless seducer from the East. Not surprisingly this pointed and vicious satire didn't go over well at the Court and the opera was banned for a few years.

Corps in "The Golden Cockerel".  Photo © Rosalie O’Connor.