By Perry and Cindy Whitehair
Ballet West’s 2nd annual National Choreographic Festival opened last night at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center in Salt Lake City and it is nothing short of spectacular. The brain-child of Artistic Director Adam Sklute, the festival brings 6 new (to Utah) works over 2 weekends – three offerings per weekend.
The first offering of the night was Awkarium – choreography by Katarzyna Sharpetowska and performed by the Richmond (VA) Ballet, Stoner Winslett Artistic Director. This piece recently had its world premiere in Richmond (5/8/18) before coming to Utah. It is an aquatic look at life. The dancers (Lauren Archer, Cody Beaton, Elana Bello, Marty Davis, Trevor Davis, Matthew Frain, Sabrina Holland, Anthony Oates, Melissa Robinson, Fernando Sabino, Maggie Small and Mate Szentes) flow back and forth across the stage at times like schools of fish (or commuters on a train) and at other times, like sea-weed swaying with the ocean tide. Pairs “swim” into trios and then into an ensemble in waves of passionate movement. The costumes (Fritz Masten) are in cool blues and greens to really cement the underwater feel that the choreographer was after. The lighting and scenic design (MK Stewart) are simple and striking. The music is where Perry and I have a difference of opinion. Most of the music is very “techno-organic” (“first_contact” and “shift_register” performed by Robert Henke) which at times I (Cindy) found to be harsh and distracting. The interlude into J.S.Bach’s “Allemande” and back (to “shift_register”) is a very interesting juxtaposition of styles.
The next offering was Myriad – choreography by Gemma Bond and performed by the Washington (DC) Ballet, Julie Kent Artistic Director. This is a more classical piece, a testament to Ms. Kent’s vision for her company of bringing the classics and new works together to keep the art form relevant in the modern era. Dancers Victoria Arrea, Sona Kharatian, Stephanie Sorota, Sarah Steele, Brittany Stone, Venus Villa and Brooklyn Mack bring us a look of classic Americana ballet that is an interesting contrast to the opening piece. The dancers are technically spot on and the dance shows it off nicely – and when Mack took the stage (in a leap reminiscent of the great Mikhail Baryshnikov) the audience gasped. The lighting design (Robert L. Fabrizio) is again simple, but remarkable. There are a few times where the dancers are back-lit and that provides such an ethereal feel to the dance. Costumes (designed by Ms. Bond) are soft, flowing and classical. The music (composed by Henry Purcell) is a compilation of several pieces that all flow together almost seamlessly. Perry really enjoyed the stage pictures presented in the production. He said that if he could photograph only one of the three performances, he would choose this one because of the multiple beautiful pictures this piece provides.
The final offering of the evening was Jabula choreographed by Natalie Weir for Ballet West. From the opening pose to the close, this dance will keep you riveted. This dance is decidedly male-centric and it was so nice to see the guys have a chance to be something other than a prop for the prima ballerina. That’s not to say the ladies aren’t present – they are….and they have their opportunities, but this is the guys’ show. Dancers Dominic Ballard, Katie Critchlow, Jenna Rae Herrera, Lucas Horns, Chelsea Keefer, Katherine Lawrence, Alexander MacFarlan, Emily Neale, Chase O’Connell, Oliver Oguma, Gabrielle Salvatto, Christopher Sellars, Beckanne Sisk, Rex Tilton, Joshua Whitehead, and Arolyn Williams take the bold, tribal-inspired choreography and execute it with reckless abandon. The costumes (Ms. Weir), with their bold colors, are a stark contrast to the muted tones of the previous works. The music (produced and arranged by Hans Zimmer) have driving tribal drums that help keep the tension and the drama high. According to the choreographer notes, Jabula is Zulu for joy and the joy is apparent in the performances. The dancers seem to truly enjoy performing this piece.
There is a thread that ties all 6 original dances together. All were choreographed by women and all 4 visiting companies have women as artistic directors. For the ballet world, this really is huge and something that has been a long time coming. Ballet West Artistic Director Sklute mentions (in his notes) that these ladies “represent a cross-current of both established and new leadership and each of them…display a unique vision for ballet and dance”. The uniqueness of the visions presented give this long-time ballet lover a new appreciation for the art form. This is indeed a program that you should not miss.
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Ballet West presents The National Choreographic Festival
Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center 138 Broadway, Salt Lake City Utah 84101
May 17, 18, 19, 24, 25, 26, 2018 at 7:30 PM
Tickets: $49.50
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National Choreographic Festival Facebook Event
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