Review by BRYAN ROURKE of The Providence Journal.
February 11, 2006
PROVIDENCE — Festival Ballet Providence delivers dance in its latest production, not just ballet, but modern, African and Caribbean. Balanchine & More! Way Cool, and Way Hot!, which opened last night at Veterans Memorial Auditorium, is a delightful dance sampler.
Don't look for much in the way of props or stories. Essentially there are none.
It's just movement -- of all kinds. And all four dances in this two-hour show are very good, except for one: "Loof and Let Dime."
That's fantastic.
It's creative and imaginative. It's visually engaging and generally mezmerizing.
This premiere work by guest choreographer Viktor Plotnikov is masterful, among the best modern works you'll see. It is compelling in its unusual but beautiful combinations of movements that seem at times surreal, as though giving gravity a break.
The dance starts strong, and stays strong. When the curtain rises, you see 12 dancers, six men and six women. Each man is hunched over, holding a woman who's hovering above the floor, rotating slowly, like a rotisserie dancer.
The lighting, designed by Alan Pickart, is dramatic -- low, yet harsh on each of the couples. Everyone wears gray: the men in fitted shorts and no shirts; the women in sort of gymnast's long-sleeve unitards.
At first, there's no music, just the sound of the men clapping or snapping, or slapping their thighs. After about a minute, the music (of Giovanni Sollima) emerges. It's classical with a modernist edge.
There's some repetitive narration, too, something about eating an apple, which coincides with a woman in white eating an apple, slowly walking around the stage as others dance.
You see grace, gorgeous classical movements coupled with unorthodoxy. The women are on pointe. But they're squatting. And they're walking, holding the hands of men. It's as though they're heeling across the stage, but with elegance and dignity.
You see the women upside down, too. They're doing handstands. And they're walking again. But this time the men are holding their legs, sort of like a county fair wheelbarrow race, but slowly, stylistically.
It's like Salvador Dali does dance. But it's not unsettling or disturbing. It's transfixing.
Maybe a message is being made: Odd can be awesome.
The show is of two worlds: new and old; classical and contemporary. The old and classical comes first.
It begins with George Balanchine's "Allegro Brillante," involving the music of Tchaikovsky and five couples, one of which is central. Thursday night it was Karla Kovatch and Gleb Lyamenkoff in the leads. Tonight it's Leticia Guerrero and Davide Vittorino.
The piece is soft, gentle and traditional, initially. Eventually the music builds in intensity, as does the dance, which is sophisticated in its subtlety of choreography.
Sometimes the couples perform a move in unison. Sometimes they do so in sequence in a kind of cascading choreography.
The prima role is demanding. Kovatch stays on pointe more than a minute while others partner her pirouettes. And while balancing on one foot, she gracefully lifts a bent back leg behind her.
The work starts slow and gradually develops interest.
The last piece performed before the first intermission is "Diana and Acteon," a 1935 work of Agrippina Vaganova, staged by Mihailo Djuric, Festival's artistic director.
It's a duet, classical and old-fashioned, featuring Guerrero (who alternates with Emily Bromberg) and Eivar Martinez. She wears a short red dress and a tiny tiara. He wears a green tunic. Both perform well, together and apart.
Guerrero is artistic and athletic, with terrific turns. In this particular role, she restrains her facial expressions, containing her usual charismatic manner.
Maritnez is dramatic and powerful, as usual. His leaps are high. His turns are fast. And in a couple instances he punctuates his leaps and turns with whip kicks above his head as though he were a kickboxer. It's stunning.
The second half of the show features two new and contemporary works, including "Loof and Let Dime.' The program wraps up with "Azucar," by guest choreographer Gianni Di Marco. It features the Afro-Caribbean music of Celia Cruz, 18 dancers and nine movements, which may be more than necessary.
The piece starts with an African-style pulsing dance. After that, you're in a Havana nightclub, or some place where Caribbean music plays, and where people really know how to Latin ballroom dance.
That's what this looks like: a nightclub. Sometimes there are small tables and cafe chairs. Sometimes people sit while others dance. Sometimes everyone dances independently or in sync.
The dancing is all quite good, although without significant variation on the Latin theme, and, consequently, may go on just a little long.
However, the stage looks lively and busy, with lots of dancers in contemporary attire: men in pants and shirts; women in dresses and high heels. A few dancers stand out. Martinez has a nice solo, as does Guerrero. And Erica Chipp and Mark Harootian perform a crisp and extended duet.
It's festive and fun to watch, and ends with a big Broadway-style Latino line dance.
Festival Ballet Providence presents Balanchine & More! Way Cool, and Way Hot! tonight at 7:30 and tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Auditorium. A short discussion with dancers precedes each show by 45 minutes. For tickets, $16 to $61, call (401) 272-4862 or (800) 919-6272; or visit www.tickets.com.
Article published by The Providence Journal on Saturday, February 11, 2006. All Rights Reserved.
