Reviews – Page 11

DVD Review: Ghostlight

November 16, 2012 by 4dancers

by Emily Kate Long

Palisades Pictures and Mannic Productions

Produced and Directed by Christopher Herrmann

Introducing Richard Move as Martha Graham

The world knows Martha Graham as a dance icon. Ghostlight presents Graham as an icon in every aspect: her personal style is over-the top, her mannerisms are supremely theatrical, her speech is poetic and often cryptic. The tagline of the film, aptly, is “An impressionistic homage to Martha Graham.” It is loosely centered around the creation of Graham’s ballet Phaedra, but the focus is always Martha herself and all her eccentricities. In interviews with performance artist Richard Move and Director Christopher Herrmann (who worked for Graham and knew her personally), the phrase “truth is stranger than fiction” is used to describe Graham, and the film really highlights that. It’s obvious how much of a kick these two got out of making a film tribute to Martha.

Ghostlight features Ann Magnuson as a former Graham student-turned-filmmaker trying to capture the ins and outs of Martha at work—despite financial trouble and personal turmoil for both parties. The exploration of Martha’s relationships to herself, to dance as an inevitable part of her life, and to her former husband Eric Hawkins are not specific or detailed (the feature runs just 80 minutes) but they are highly suggestive. This is clearly a tribute paid with love, and extends its reach by making the viewer want to know more deeply its iconic subject.

dancer doing arabesque — Emily Kate Long, Photo by Avory Pierce

Assistant Editor Emily Kate Long began her dance education in South Bend, Indiana, with Kimmary Williams and Jacob Rice, and graduated in 2007 from Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School’s Schenley Program. She has spent summers studying at Ballet Chicago, Pittsburgh Youth Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School, Miami City Ballet, and Saratoga Summer Dance Intensive/Vail Valley Dance Intensive, where she served as Program Assistant. Ms Long attended Milwaukee Ballet School’s Summer Intensive on scholarship before being invited to join Milwaukee Ballet II in 2007.

Ms Long has been a member of Ballet Quad Cities since 2009. She has danced featured roles in Deanna Carter’s Ash to Glass and Dracula, participated in the company’s 2010 tour to New York City, and most recently performed principal roles in Courtney Lyon’s Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, and Cinderella. She is also on the faculty of Ballet Quad Cities School of Dance, where she teaches ballet, pointe, and repertoire classes.

DVD Review: The Bolshoi Ballet’s Giselle

October 29, 2012 by Ashley David

by Emily Kate Long

Filmed in 2011, this Giselle is Yuri Grigorovich’s version after choreography by Coralli, Perrot, and Petipa. Simon Virsaladze’s set and costume designs are gloriously light and airy, and the staging in both acts is full but polished.

Svetlana Lunkina’s Giselle is playful and modest in Act 1. Her sweetness is well complemented by Dimitry Gudanov’s casual confidence as Albrecht. Lunkina is closeup-ready; every expression is genuine and effective down to the ends of her eyelashes. It’s easy to fall in love with her, and easy to mourn her madness and heartbreak. This Giselle’s believably tragic and deeply personal mad scene is, unfortunately, somewhat cheapened by the villagers’ over-the-top reactions of distress at the close of the act.

The Giselle that appears in Act 2 is, appropriately, the emotionally spent young woman whose world collapsed around her in Act 1. Her innocence has been darkened, her joy dampened. Lunkina is completely at the mercy of a cruel and somber Myrtha (Maria Allash) until her true love and forgiveness of Albrecht break Myrtha’s spell and to save him at sunrise. The dancing of the wilis is pure magic—the suspension of one woman from a rocking mechanism to drop lilies on Albrecht is pure distraction.

The huge scale of a Bolshoi production is something that simply doesn’t exist in the West. For most of us, video is the only way we’ll ever see something so enormous. Watching that magnificence, as well as seeing Lunkina close up, is absolutely a treat, but here video simultaneously detracts where it enhances. The humanity of her Giselle, so wonderfully highlighted in close-ups, seems out of context amid the exaggerated grandness traditional on the Bolshoi stage.

The Bolshoi Ballet and Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra in Giselle. 109 minutes. Pathe Live, Bel Aire Media, and the State Academic Bolshoi Theatre, 2012.

Reflecting Chagall: Hubbard Street’s “One Thousand Pieces”

October 19, 2012 by 4dancers

by Catherine L. Tully

The world premiere of Alejandro Cerrudo’s One Thousand Pieces was the first full-length work ever presented by Hubbard Street Dance Company, and it is indeed a reflection of Marc Chagall’s America Windows in the very best sense of the word. Despite using the artist’s famous blue panels of stained glass as his inspiration, the piece is conceptual, shaking off any literal interpretation in favor of a multifaceted offering of mood and emotion.

This performance kicks off Hubbard Street’s 35th Anniversary Season, and Cerrudo appropriately uses a large cast of dancers, including members of Hubbard Street 2. Rarely are all of them on stage at once–he seems to prefer more intimate numbers for choreography using two, three or four dancers at a time. Even so, there were moments where the entire group took to the stage and it was a powerful sight to see all of these talented dancers move in unison.

Costumes were kept simple but the set design changed throughout and Thomas Mika’s work here contributes to the atmosphere considerably. The “windows” are represented by a series of mirrored rectangles that are intermittently raised, lowered and even spun, adding impact by occasionally catching the light like a shard of glass in the sunshine, or in this case, moonlight. The subtle yet brilliant lighting design by Michael Korsch meshes perfectly with every dance sequence, complimenting the group work and adding intensity to duets and solos.

Throughout the piece there is no doubt that Cerrudo is the force behind the choreography; his signature touches are everywhere–from the tender partnering with its distinct flow to the dancers appearing and disappearing quickly and quietly. Even so, he succeeds in remaining fresh by delivering the unexpected, such as raising the curtain to reveal a stage floor drizzled with water, with three misty “waterfalls” serving as the scenery. Until this moment, only the music of Philip Glass accompanied the dancers, but then the sound of bodies kicking up spray and sliding through puddles is added to the mix as well.

Cerrudo plays with the idea of light and reflection through the choreography, crafting a vision complete with mirror-like movements and even some kaleidoscopic imagery. Bodies come together, transform and change shape in a variety of pretty patterns with a progression that is uninterrupted and exceedingly graceful. So often the movement and shapes created by Cerrudo seem as if they are the most natural thing the body could do–despite the obvious complexity. The match is a perfect one since the skilled dancers in this company have no trouble making it all look easy.

One’s reflection in a window is never quite an exact replica–the light is never as bright and the features blend more easily, revealing a doppelganger that is far more abstract than real. Although this shadowy image is never a true duplicate of the original–sometimes the filter of softness and mystery actually makes it more beautiful.

That is certainly the case here.

One Thousand Pieces is at the Harris Theater through October 21st.

Behind the scenes at Hubbard Street:

Joffrey Ballet’s “Human Landscapes” Program Connects

October 18, 2012 by 4dancers

by Catherine L. Tully

The Joffrey Ballet’s 2012-2013 season opened Wednesday evening with a mixed repertory program aptly titled “Human Landscapes”. Forgotten Land, Pretty BALLET and The Green Table were offered to the audience at Chicago’s Auditorium Theatre, along with a live orchestra to accompany the three works.

Joffrey Ballet 2012 — Christine Rocas & Rory Hohenstein in Forgotten Land, photo by Herbert Migdoll

With its simple set and dancers clothed primarily in earth tones and varying shades of red, Jirí Kylián’s Forgotten Land opened the program for the evening. Set to music by Benjamin Britten, the contribution that the musicians and conductor Scott Speck made to the atmosphere was immediately apparent. As dancers whirled across the stage in what seemed an endless series of lifts, the music punctuated both the timing–as well as the tone of the piece. Performed confidently by the 12 dancers with the exception of a few minor timing issues, it was a surprise to learn that the piece hasn’t been done by the company since 1985.

joffrey ballet — Pretty BALLET, photo by Herbert Migdoll

Next was Pretty BALLET by James Kudelka, which opened with Victoria Jaiani held in a striking, if unusual pose–high above the head of partner Miguel Angel Blanco. With white fog blanketing the stage, the simple, dream-like scene was interrupted visually by a pair of bright red pointe shoes.

The contrast of effortless beauty and diligent work is explored throughout this piece–both concepts dear to the very heart of ballet as an art form. Denis Lavoie’s fragile-looking white skirts lend a magical quality to the stage, while the plain gray tights and shirts worn by the men seem to depict the repetition, labor and practice involved in perfecting ballet movements.

Highlights from the four movements in Pretty BALLET included a magnificent pas de deux, which featured Jaiani and Blanco, and a complex and extremely well-executed sequence for five men, performed by Derrick Agnoletti, Raul Casasola, John Mark Giragosian, Graham Maverick and Ricardo Santos. The music by Bohuslav Martinu˚ was brought to life by The Chicago Philharmonic, adding significantly to the overall impact of the piece.

Always last on the program (by the specific request of choreographer Kurt Jooss) is The Green Table, a ballet that is interwoven with the very history of the Joffrey itself. Originally choreographed in 1932, the Joffrey was the first American company to perform this German Expressionist work–years later in 1967. A commentary on the fruitlessness of war, it is a powerful piece illuminated by costuming, gesture, music and nuance.

The ballet opens and ends with a group of diplomats who are gathered around a large green table. Clad in wonderfully crafted masks created by Hermann Markard, this is a political gathering that could be taking place anywhere–at any time. At the outset of the ballet, negotiation gives way to argument and the scene helps to set the stage for what is to come; battles, war, and eventually, death.

Death is a strong character in this ballet, and it seems as if dancer Fabrice Calmels was born to play this role. With his large frame costumed in frightening skeletal imagery the mere sight of him is imposing, whether he is marking time before he collects the next body or is claiming someone from the battle ground of war. Other standout performances include April Daly as The Old Mother and Temur Suluashvili who seemed to have boundless energy as The Profiteer.

The costuming by Hein Heckroth certainly adds to the haunting atmosphere of this ballet–especially since the scenery is, for the most part, absent. Frederick A. Cohen’s music gives the choreography another dimension, especially because of the dual piano work of Paul James Lewis and Mungunchimeg Buriad, which was incredibly powerful.

The entire company danced well here, and there were many strong characterizations and striking moments. As a ballet, The Green Table is only as good as the care taken to preserve its symbolism and structure, and that was done with a wonderful attention to detail by the Joffrey Ballet at all levels.

It connects.

“Human Landscapes” is at the Auditorium Theatre through October 28th.

DVD Review: Alonzo King LINES Ballet: Triangle Of The Squinches; Scheherazade; Dust And Light

October 3, 2012 by 4dancers

by Emily Kate Long

Alonzo King LINES Ballet: Triangle Of The Squinches; Scheherazade; Dust And Light

This DVD is the first I’ve seen of Alonzo King’s work. I dearly wish I could have seen these dances live; in this case, film detracts from the real thing. The number of cuts and close-ups at inappropriate moments is distracting—these are extraordinarily beautiful dancers doing beautiful movements, and it’s a shame to be denied the ability to watch all of them and study the spatial and dynamic relationships among bodies in the whole space.

Triangle of the Squinches features music by Mickey Hart and imposing sets by architect Christopher Haas. The ensemble sections are busy, made busier by the closeness of the cameras. My favorite moments in this piece are the simple ones: a man nearly falls and is caught and supported by another; a woman walks along the set, as if the wall is the floor, suspended by two men; later, the same woman runs slow-motion with the help of her partner. Dancers occasionally stop and watch one another as if something larger than themselves is passing among them.

Scheherazade is set to a re-working of the Rimsky-Korsakov score by Zakir Hussain. It is costumed simply but spectacularly, and overall is more impressionistic than narrative. A highlight is a moving pas de deux for Laurel Keen and David Harvey, but even here the break is too great between what is dancing and what is relationship.

Dust and Light is another marvelously costumed dance—simple but impeccably well-fit leotards and dresses for the women and shorts for the men in soft, luminous shades. The music is by Corelli and Poulenc, and the atmosphere of the piece is dreamy and sublime.

There are truly lovely moments in all three pieces, but even more that are missed because of the general absence of external focus of the dancers while dancing. I appreciate the cerebral nature of King’s work and the originality of shapes, but I feel as if I’ve just been in a room with a lot of people thinking out loud at once and have no idea what was actually said. The dancers deliberately watch one another when they are not dancing, but as soon as the movement starts, the focus goes inward. I desperately want to go with them and watch them take one another along. Something so thoughtful and intelligent shouldn’t give the impression that it may not be shared.

Here’s a sample of the DVD:

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