By Emilie Minshew
This reviewer knows that going to see any production by Ballet West in Salt Lake City at the stunning Capitol Theatre will be an absolute treat, and The Wedding is certainly no exception, as experienced by Front Row Reviewers. Having had no prior knowledge of the show, I was entirely charmed by what I saw.
A Ballet West premiere, The Wedding is a performance of three separate ballet pieces: Les Noches (The Wedding), In The Night, and Light Rain. Each piece is entirely unique and strays from what one might think of as more classical ballet, and are known for having shaped the history of the world of ballet.
The first piece of the night is Les Noces, the French title meaning The Wedding. Choreographed by Bronsislava Nijinska, The Wedding first premiered in 1923. The piece follows a young couple during their journey to the marriage altar and is set to an evocative score of orchestration and singing by none other than the talented and controversial Igor Stravinsky. Nijinska’s piece, a reflection of her own experience of marriage, depicts the event as a rather somber affair in which the character of the bride is haunted by the uncertainty of what her future marriage my hold.
The bride, portrayed by Victoria Vassos (Anisa Sinteral), and the groom, portrayed by Domonic Ballard, are the featured soloists of this and they are remarkable. Not only is their dancing incredible, but their acting is as well. Audiences are left with the complexity of emotions from the characters. And while the soloists are fantastic, I think the true heroes of this piece are the corps de ballet. The choreography is utterly captivating. The group of dancers move together in what feels like a complex geometric mass of people. With movements of stark uniformity, the dancing makes the audience feel as though they are witnessing some kind of ancient rite. The intentionality behind the very controlled dancing, paired with the simplistic costumes, represents a sort of loss of the individual in favor of the group. This is something that I think represents Ninjinska’s commentary on marriage very effectively.
The second piece performed is In the Night. Another Ballet West premiere, this is a more traditional ballet piece choreographed by Jerome Robbins and set to Frederic Chopin’s Nocturnes for piano. The piece was first performed in 1970 by the New York City Ballet and follows three separate couples as they navigate their respective relationships. The first couple, Amy Potter and Hadriel Diniz, are in a sort of dream-like state of love. They are deeply romantic with one another. The second couple, Emily Adams and Adrian Fry, are exploring their new relationship in a sweet and gentle way. The third couple, Katlyn Addison and Brian Waldrep (alternates Chelsea Keefer and Tyler Gum), were my favorite and their story shows a couple who very clearly have a deep passionate love for one another, but aren’t sure what their future holds. This section as a whole was lovely and will make audiences feel as if they are taking a romantic stroll through the stars.
The final piece of the night is Light Rain. Also a premiere to Ballet West, this piece is choreographed by Gerald Arpino and was first performed in 1981 at the Joffrey Ballet in New York City. This piece truly blew me away and was by far my favorite piece of the night. The music for this piece by Douglas Adamz and Russ Gauthier sizzles and sets the playful tone of the piece. The best way to describe the movement of this dance would be to liken it to a drop of water falling into another body of water. The dance ripples, explodes, and flows in all the right ways. The thing I was most impressed by in this piece is these sort of collective shudders the dancers do. They make the dance sort of hum with movement. I would be remiss to not mention the amazing pas de deux in this piece. Danced by Emily Adams and Hadriel Diniz, this duet was very technically impressive as well as sensual. It felt as though Adams was a stringe instrument and Diniz was guiding her body to move in a way that made her sing. Moments like this remind me how incredibly lucky Utah is to have such a prestigious ballet company as Ballet West in our state.
The minimalist design of the set and lighting, by Natalia Goncharova, Kevin Dreyer, and Craig Miller, allows audiences to focus intently on the dancers. For In the Night: The costumes by Anthony Dowell for In The Night were stunning. Each costume reflected the overall mood of the couple. Audiences can expect to feel transported to the Milky Way by the starry night sky lighting design by Jennifer Tipton and Jim French. For Light Rain, the costumes of this piece, designed by A. Christina Gianni, highlight the utter athleticism of the performers by hugging their muscular frames. Lighting by Kevin Dreyer and Thomas Skelton create gentle waves across the stage. Another fabulous addition to this performance was that of the live musicians playing and singing the score. Conducted by Another fabulous addition to this performance was that of the live musicians playing and singing the score. Conducted by Jared Oaks and Gabriel Gordon, the orchestra featured stunning live vocals from Seth Keeton, Melissa Heath, Christopher Puckett, and Jin-Xiang Yu. Their beautiful voices add to the haunting nature of this piece.
Capitol Theatre is the great venue for this performance. The atmosphere is rich and inviting. Sparkling chandeliers and golden crown molding embellish the ceilings, and invite audiences to settle in for a night of exciting ballet. Though this reviewer does recommend that audiences arrive early at the venue to combat the complexities of finding parking in downtown Salt Lake, as the theater has no designated parking. Additionally, this show is appropriate for all ages, but would likely be enjoyed more by older children and adults.
Tickets start at $25 and the production runs through the 22nd of April, with both evening and matinee performances. Be sure to catch this stunning night of ballet before time runs out!
Ballet West presents The Wedding
Capitol Theatre 50 W 200 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
April 14th-22nd, 7:30 PM (see site for individual dates and times)
Tickets: $20-104
www.balletwest.org
Contact: (801) 869-6900
Ballet West Facebook Page
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