The Richmond Ballet’s performance at The Joyce Theater on Wednesday night achieves a feat which few ballet companies can successfully pull off.  They manage to master the classical ballet aesthetic of clean, long lines in the first piece of the night, Violin, while demonstrating their contemporary and modern movement mastery with Misa Criolla.  The final piece of the evening, Vestiges is a fusion of the dancers’ ballet and modern dance talents.  As the dance world progresses, we continue to see the necessity for dancers to be trained in a variety of dance forms.  It is more common now for ballet dancers to be versatile in modern dance and vice versa. The major difference between the Richmond Ballet and other companies is the dancers’ ability to appear comfortable while performing dance styles long considered out of the ballet aesthetic element.

The first piece of the night, Violin, which was choreographed by Val Caniparoli, features ten dancers, five women and five men. The dancers are clad in simple hunter green costumes, leotards for the women, tights for the men.  The simplicity of the costumes coupled with the lack of storyline creates a modernist feel to the piece.  Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber provides the compelling violin music.  The men begin the dance in a ritualistic circular formation. Their movements are powerful and full of energy.  The dancers bend their wrists and place their arms in very specific shapes, adding to the rich texture of the choreography.  The lights dim and the women take their position in place of the men in the center of the stage.  The women all appear happy and upbeat as they fly through the air.  My favorite part of the performance is the seamless duets which are interspersed throughout the piece. The dancers move extremely well together, whether they are dancing as a group, in a trio, or in a duet.  I thoroughly enjoy watching Maggie Small because of her quickness and her flawless technique.  Thomas Ragland is also a thrill to watch.  It is evident that the dancers feel each other when they move together onstage.  Bravo! 

After intermission, we are introduced to the world of Misa Criolla.  In this piece choreographed by William Soleau, the dancers are wearing what appears to be peasant garb; the women are wearing shawls and dresses to their ankles.  The music gives the piece an archaic feel to it, with piercing operatic voices strewn in.  According to the program, this piece is about the ability of communities to collectively rise up above adversity and join forces in a shared bond of friendship.  The stage is bordered by wooden benches which the dancers sit, dance, and move around the stage.   With elements of various folk dances thrown into the mix, the dancers couple up and then change partners throughout the duration of the piece.  For example, the dancers hold hands in a circle and then run into the middle, reminiscent of the Israeli folk dance, the Hora.  Lauren Breen and Cecile Tuzzii really stand out in this piece.  It is their stage presence and acting ability which really draws my attention to them. Although Misa Criolla is wonderfully constructed, it feels as if it drags on too long at points.

The last piece of the night, Vestiges by Colin Connor, is probably my favorite piece of the program.  The piece reminds me of musical theater because of the dramatic costumes the dancers wear, the use of the lighting, and the way the music tells a story with its melody.  The dancers portray dramatic characters, adding to the overall theatrics of the dance.  The lifts are executed seamlessly, even when one of the women dancers lifts a male dancer.  Valerie Tellmann is the standout in this piece with her unparalleled physicality and fearlessness.

This is the first time I’ve seen the Richmond Ballet and I must say that I am impressed with Artistic Director, Stoner Winslett.  The task of presenting such a versatile repertoire is not an easy one, but Ms. Winslett has shown us that she is capable of doing so.  The dancers of Richmond Ballet are extremely current and relevant dancers who not only are up-to-date on all of the trends in the dance world, but they are also setting their own.

iDANZ Critix Corner
Official Dance Review by Amanda Keller 
Performance: Richmond Ballet 
Venue: The Joyce Theater
Show Date:  Wednesday, April 8, 2010
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It’s Tuesday night at The Joyce Theater and the red velvet curtains open to reveal Ballet Hispanico, led by the recently appointed artistic director, Eduardo Vilaro, as they revisit some oldies but goodies and premiere several new dances.

The first revival of the night, Goodnight Paradise, created in 1994 by Ramon Oller, is a physical and emotional piece of dance theater.  The set, created by Chris Barreca, is a fenced-in enclosure which helps to evoke a patio party in the summertime.  The piece consists of three women and four men who each begin to solo, but soon break off into pairs. Waldemar Quinones-Villanueva is the only one left without a partner, creating an interesting dynamic of the group versus the individual.  Despite the group mentality that is created when the partners are in unison with each other, the dancers all stand out in an individual way.

The three women begin the dance wearing bras and ruffled booty shorts and then graduate to floor-length skirts which they put on during the piece at the back of the stage.  The men begin and end the dance in formal suits and ties, except for Villanueva who is scantily clad in nude colored nylon shorts.  The difference in the rest of the group’s costumes also helps to illuminate Villanueva as the outsider. The dancers perform some of their movements in unison, but although their timing is synchronized, their execution is slightly different.  An example of this is when the women lightly pound their partner’s chest with their fists.  This simple motion is varied amongst the women because of the number of beats they make, their emotional intention, and focus of their eyes.

Chairs are placed against the sides of the stage so guests can sit and relax during the “party.” When they are not dancing, the dancers sit on the chairs as they watch the party unfold.  At first appearing as if they would be merely used as background to set the scene, the dancers begin to interact with the chairs, in particular Villanueva, the outsider at this party. During one of his solos, he struggles to push his way through the crowd of chairs, as if they are immovable objects.  I found myself constantly drawn to Vanessa Valecillos’ beautiful lines and compelling passion throughout the piece. Ms. Valecillo commanded the stage with her elegance and seamlessness.

After Intermission, the audience is immediately thrown back into the world of Ballet Hispanico with their world premiere of the fiery Triptico.  Choreographed by Ron De Jesus and with music by Oscar Hernandez, Triptico is an exploration of traditional Latin dance forms combined with contemporary partnering.  The dancers are saucy and sensual at times, sharp and caustic at others.  With live music of piano and percussion, this dance definitely felt alive for me.  Jessica Batten, a relatively new addition to the company stole the stage with her dynamite energy and presence.  She demonstrates fearlessness as she throws herself at her partner in a breathtaking sideways leap.  The audience freezes for a second in anticipation until our anxieties are eased as he swoops her up into his outstretched arms.

Locked Up Laura, which premiered in NYC last week, is choreographed by Annabelle Lobez Ochoa.  Tonight, I am fortunate enough to catch Min-Tzu Li and Jeffrey Hover perform the duet.  After reading the synopsis of the piece, things start to make a little more sense for me.  The synopsis explains how Ms. Li loses artistic focus because of the daily grind that is required from dance technique and Mr. Hover is trying to help her rekindle her passion.  However, watching the piece, I surprisingly had a completely different interpretation of the relationship between partners.  I imagined a romantic relationship which had gone dry and caused Ms. Li to lose her will to live.  Despite the discrepancies, both Li and Hover move well together.  Mr. Hover’s partnering skills are so adept that it appears as if Ms. Li is floating on air.  Her flexible and delicate body doesn’t hurt matters either.

Pedro Ruiz’s Club Havana is a masterpiece of the Conga, Rumba, Mambo, and Cha Cha rhythms.  The dance is a combination of duets, trios, and ensemble pieces which bring us a feel for Latino dance forms, but Ruiz adds his own personal flare to the movements.  There is definitely classical Mambo steps, but then suddenly the dancers will break out into a different style of dance form altogether.  It is Angelica Burgos in Cha Cha Cha who electrifies the stage and steals the hearts of her partners Eric Rivera and Waldemar Quinones-Villanueva.  Marina Fabila is also a shining presence in the Mambo with her flirtatious movements, gorgeous extensions, and her ability to eat up the space.

I am impressed with Eduardo Vilaro’s ability to lead his company into such new and exciting territory and in such a short time span.  Without neglecting the traditional Hispanic dance forms, Mr. Vilaro introduces us to new ways of thinking about the Latino culture.  The choreographers he has chosen for Ballet Hispanico’s season at The Joyce are familiar with traditional Hispanic dance forms, but they are also interested in using their knowledge of classical and contemporary dance as a way to showcase how the Latino culture can expand in interesting and unchartered ways.

iDANZ Critix Corner 
Official Dance Review by Amanda Keller
Performance: Ballet Hispanico, Program B
Venue:  The Joyce Theater
Show Date:  Tuesday, December 8, 2009
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Christopher Wheeldon is a jack-of-all trades as he takes on City Center in Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company’s third season.  He serves as artistic director, fundraiser, promoter, spokesperson, and host for the evening as he welcomed the audience at the start of Sunday’s matinee performance to sit back and enjoy the show.  Mr. Wheeldon’s underlying goal for the company is to bridge the divide that sometimes can occur between a ballet company and its audience. His hope is to attract an audience who is new to ballet through collaborations with different kinds of artists and the utilization of film as a way to show his company in their everyday, down-to-earth lives.  Within the show, Mr. Wheeldon presents us with an up-close-and-personal look at his dancers during their residency at Martha’s Vinyard this summer. The video shows the dancers in rehearsals, working on the dances, but it offers us another side to them as they hang out with each other or share a meal together. It is a successful attempt at showing the audience that yes, dancers are people too.

Mr. Wheeldon’s first piece to begin the program is Continuum (2002).  Dense and spiky music, composed by Gyogy Ligeti for the piano and harpsichord, depict within the dynamic score energy changes that evoke the feeling of a windmill or some sort of machine that relies on nature as its energy source. The dancers’ movements are naturally driven and unlike some ballet which can appear ornamental, Christopher Wheeldon’s dancers are moving from deep within.  The dancers wear forest green costumes which also evokes a natural quality to their movements. The gorgeous combination of duets, performed radiantly by Edward Liang and Danielle Rowe and the ever breathtaking Wendy Whelen and Matthew Prescott, add layers to this enchanting ballet. The Harpsichord Pas de deux, which occurs midway through the ballet, is played in rapid succession which, as Mr. Wheeldon explains at the beginning of the performance, is inspired by sparring between his cats and dog.  The use of a horizontal plane, in addition to the dancers moving with their backs parallel to the floor, connotes an animalistic quality to the dancers as well as the feeling that these ballet dancers can actually do modern dance as well!  What an amazing feat to be these beautiful ballerinas who are also able to perform modern dance styles.

The second piece of the performance, Softly as I Leave You (2009), is a quiet duet which was reworked by husband and wife team, Paul Lightfoot and Sol Leon.  The piece begins with Drew Jacoby confined to a 300-lb black box which both restricts her and provides her with the ability to challenge these limits.   At times appearing resigned to her life in the box, she dynamically will switch into escape mode, realizing that there is something more to life than her existence in the box.  Rubinald Pronk appears with his amazing physicality and control.  Jacoby and Pronk are similar in their movement styles, appearing both controlled and cool in their movements, but also ferocious and exaggerated in other movements.  Softly as I Leave You evokes a combination of feeling regret and the process of letting someone go.  It is extremely sentimental, probably to a fault, but this gushiness is almost completely overlooked because of the amazing dancers.  Both Jacoby and Pronk save the day in what otherwise would have been considered a hackneyed theme about loss and letting go.

Rhapsody Fantaisie (2009) is the epitome of Wheeldon’s aims to combine different art forms. Los Carpinteros, a Havana-based collective created the memorable set designs for the dance. The pieces are three dimensional floating cones which create a fantastical image of romance and sensuality.  In addition to the set design, the costumes are designed by Fancisco Costa, the Women’s Creative Director of Calvin Klein Collection.  Rhapsody Fantaisie is a beautiful romantic ballet for six couples.  Mr. Wheeldon uses classical steps combined with sleek changes of weight shift in nature between whimsical duets and heartier group dances which are reminiscent of folk dance circles.  Similar to Continuum, the dancers are moving in and out of ballet and modern dance styles. The dancers continue to shine, in particular Melissa Barak.  Despite the fact that she performs a duet with Wendy Whelen, she is able to hold her own and prove herself next to this dancing diva.  Mr. Wheeldon’s choreography is extremely flattering on his dancers, especially the women who are able to be delicate and feminine and, at other times, articulate and sharp.  Wendy Whelen tops off the piece in the final duet where she dances with Andrew Crawford who must yield to all of Whelen’s power!  Despite her delicacy, she still appears to claim the stage which is truly a remarkable accomplishment.

Criticized for merely being a pick-up company with no real identity of it’s own, Christopher Wheeldon should be proud of how far his company has come since its inception three years ago.  Despite the fact that Wheeldon is unable to pay his dancers full-time, his company still feels like a cohesive organization.  The video at the beginning of the performance definitely helps to change my perception of these dancers.  I have always been under the impression that these types of dancers are all prima donnas who are all trying to outdo each other.  I am fairly confident now that this is not the case, and the dancers actually enjoy working together to produce a wonderful show.  Til next time…

iDANZ Critix Corner
Official Dance Review by Amanda Keller
Performance:  Morpheses/ The Wheeldon Company
Choreography:  Christopher Wheeldon
Venue: City Center, New York City
Show Date:  Sunday, November 1, 2009 at 3pm

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Basil Twist – Petrushka Suite

Basil Twist utilizes his mastery of Czech and Japanese puppetry to replace dancers with life-sized puppets in this reenactment of the classical Russian love story, Petrushka.  Twist cleverly reworks this original story so that the puppeteers who are usually hidden are now placed in the forefront allowing the audience to see the puppeteers’ intricate movements and technical abilities.  The puppets truly come to life in this ballet.  With three puppeteers manipulating each puppet, there is certainly complicated choreography that goes into maneuvering around the puppet.  Two ballets are going on at the same time in Basil Twist’s version of Petrushka Suite. This is a charming and refreshing approach to classical ballet and definitely appeals to a wide audience.

Monica Bill Barnes and Company – I Feel Like

I Feel Like is a delightfully fun and light exploration of ordinary women and what it means to feel sexy.  Three women wear extremely un-sexy drab looking turtleneck sweaters with pleated, knee length skirts.  They are feeling sexy and they want to show it.  At times comical with the women appearing unhinged and almost paranoid, dancers Anna Bass, Monica Bill Barnes, and Deborah Lohse each possess strong acting skills.  In this wonderful piece, each dancer, in her own way, accomplishes her own version of sexiness.  The aim of this company is the celebration of individuality, humor, and the joy of everyday life.  Ms. Barnes certainly accomplishes these goals and then some in I Feel Like.  

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo – Go for Barocco

The thing that makes Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo spectacular is not just that they’re dressed up as ballerinas wearing pointe shoes; it’s the fact that they’re actually incredible dancers who are so good at what they do that one forgets they’re dudes!

The men of Les Ballets Trockadero offer us a playful, entertaining look at traditional, classical ballet in parody form.  It is apparent that these men are highly skilled technicians who know much about the eccentricities of numerous dance styles.  Brock Hayhoe and Joshua Grant play jealous lovers who are constantly trying to out-do the other person.  They are both extremely funny and brilliantly entertaining.  The ballet sticks to its classicism, with a few twists and turns along the way.  The Trocks, as they are nicknamed, are probably my favorites of the night.  Bravo!

DanceBrazil – Culture in Motion

DanceBrazil creates the final big bang of the night with their unique fusion of Afro-Brazilian movement, contemporary dance, and Capoeira:  a dance/martial arts form that uses speed, power, grace, and incredibly precise motion.  The ten highly muscled male dancers all posses an amount of competitiveness with their fellow dancers.  With this competitiveness is also a strong sense of brotherhood.  The cultural influence of this performance is strongly felt with the five drummers upstage of the dancers, beating on snare drums. This awesome performance ends in a Capoeira type of contest where the dancers pair up and try to out-do each other with incredible tricks such as back flips and kicking one’s leg impossibly close to the other person.

The four pieces on the program all bring something different to the stage.  This is a smartly crafted program and I applaud not only the breathtaking dancers, but also the program directors who coordinated the line-up of the performers.  I definitely have fallen deeper in love with dance after watching City Center’s Fall For Dance.

iDANZ Critix Corner
Official Dance Review by Amanda Keller
Performance:  Fall For Dance
Venue:  City Center, New York City 
Show Date:  Sunday, September 27, 2009
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Yaa Samar! Dance Theatre is a hot-off-the press dance company with choreographer, Samar Haddad King, creating dances about the pervading issues and conflicts of today’s world. King looks at the controversy that arises amongst groups with varying belief systems and what happens when these systems collide.  According to Ms. King, her goal is to “collaborate with artists across disciplines, cultural geographies, and physical borders with the intent to forge stimulating and transformative experiences for both audience and performer.”  The combination of the dramatic subject matter and the technical ability and experience of his dancers makes for an undeniable explosive combination.

The compelling and passionate duet, Al Bikr Adaptation (The firstborn), brings the audience into the world of Samar Haddad King.  Instead of her other works of the night which attempt to bridge cultural/religious gaps, this creation does not need to cross any boundaries.  The piece is about the universal tragedy of losing a child.  Dancers Josiah Guitian and Stephanie Sutherland passionately depict anguish and longing for their stillborn child.  They appear dependent on each other, but desperately want this painful period in their lives to be over.  Guitian and Sutherland are excellent partners, complementing each other’s athletic prowess with their acting skills.  The dancers are able to portray how a couple’s lack of communication ultimately leads to their downfall.

Kristen Osler portrays Penelope in this beautifully constructed solo with text by Samar Haddad King.  This is a narrative about regrets and wanting to change the past.  Penelope is the second piece of the evening that transcends cultural boundaries.  Everyone feels regrets about their past no matter where you come from.  Ms. Osler’s movements are so smooth that she appears to dance every single thought from the text.  The stream of consciousness fits perfectly with Osler’s languid movements.  Throughout the piece she is constantly taking on and off her shirt as a sort of symbolic way of exposing and hiding her soul.  Penelope is an intimate and dynamic glimpse in the mind of a woman coping with regrets.

Frozen Belief II closes out the night with performers Yukari Osaka, Kristen Osler, and Kathryn Baer Schetlick bearing all in this piece about individual faith and the interaction between different faiths.  The three women begin the piece with their backs to the audience. T hey are topless, kneeling in what appears to be sand.  They start throwing sand into the air from their baskets, creating a mesmerizing and almost mystical atmosphere.  They are each alone in their own faiths and belief systems, unaware of any other system.  The piece begins to progress as each dancer dons white flowing tunics and realizes that there are two other dancers next to her.  This realization is symbolic to the issues that arise when different belief systems come into contact with each other and how people deal with these differences.  The carefully crafted text interspersed throughout the piece is read in English, Hebrew, and Arabic.  The choice to use these languages helps create an effect of diverse cultural groups coming together and trying to reconcile differences.

Yaa Samar!  Dance Theatre is a intriguingly provocative and sincere dance force with a admirable goal of using dance to bridge cultural and religious divides.

iDANZ Critix Corner
Official Dance Review by Amanda Keller
Performance:  Yaa Samar!  Dance Theatre

Venue:  LaGuardia Performing Arts Center, NY
Performance Date:  Saturday, September 26, 2009
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The Downtown Dance Festival roars in the weekend with a bang for a noontime lunch crowd on Friday, August 21.   Featuring five hot dance companies, Jamal Jackson Dance Company, isadoraNOW, C3 Tap Co-operative, Stefanie Nelson Dance Group, and Naomi Goldberg Haas/Dances for a Variable Population, this free event at Chase Plaza is part of a week-long festival with performances from a wide range of dance companies, all bringing something unique and unusual to the outdoor stage under the sun.

The African rhythm and beats of Jamal Jackson Dance Company (JJDC) begins the afternoon with a triumphant start. With their traditional African garments, the three women and two men in the piece perform borrowing from their extensive knowledge and their pro-styled execution of the African dance vocabulary; the use of the back and their flexed hands are apparent throughout the performance.  The company is highly-energetic and fiercely-dynamic the entire performance, their legs and arms constantly moving without a moment to catch their breaths!  Although the dance comes across as traditional African, there are times when I catch myself thinking that these dancers are using movement that resembles the Hip-Hop vocabulary as well.  The seamlessness in which they transition from traditional African dance to contemporary movement is well-skilled and very well-practiced.  JJDC is truly able to capture the mission of the company, to show the connection between African culture and American culture.

isadoraNOW presents a four-part performance with anti-war connotations.  The pieces are all choreographed by Isadora Duncan, and it is amazing to think that she choreographed this piece in 1921, and, it is still highly relevant to the issues of today!  The first section, Polonaise began as a solo with Elyssa Dru Rosenberg who performs militaristic gestures, stamping her feet and pointing at the crowd. Rosenberg’s grand gestures are accompanied by a white fabric, draped over her shoulder and used as a cape. Four women enter and surround Rosenberg who act as her body guards. Gypsy, performed by Raleigh Veach takes a Spanish interpretation of the piece, with her red seductive scarf and dramatic gestures. Revolutionary, another solo performed by Elyssa Dru Rosenberg really captures the essence of this anti-war piece with her passionate ‘screams’ and the anguish she portrays as she hits the floor in defiance.

The final section is the most memorable for me. Each dancer enters the stage in pairs, with one of them holding a red flag.  The dancers move forward as if they are in battle until the one carrying the flag is “shot down;” the other dancer must take the flag from her and continue on with the battle.  Each dancer is eventually shot down and lying on the ground.  The ending appears as if the dancers are rising to heaven in a Martha Graham style, where the dancers are initiating from their abdomens.

C3 Tap Co-operative features four talented dancers who each bring a unique quality. The four women begin the dance to traditional jazz music. While I watch the performance, I am immediately drawn to the connection amongst these women.   I can really feel their strong bond with each other in the way they move and interact.   The opening section is followed by a duet to My Favorite Things, danced by Brandy Blaha and Courtney Runft.  The dancers perform the same moves but each interprets them in a different way.  My favorite section of C3 is the solo performed by Arleigh Rothenberg to the song Love Song by Sara Bareiles.  With the song so contemporary, her tap combinations lend the dance itself to be something I have never seen before.  I enjoy Rothenberg’s wonderful use of music and the sheer joy she exhibits throughout the piece.   The company ends their program with the four dancers back together again performing to classic tap music.

Performing Venn Duet, by Stefanie Nelson/Stefanie Nelson Dance Group, is Julian Barnett and Ofelia Loret de Mola.  The duet is a push-and-pull of emotions between the two characters as lovers, with the dancers constantly intertwining their legs, leaning and pushing within their interaction.  Most noteworthy is Nelson’s use of music.  Reminiscent of "out-of-the-blue" mood changes and emotions that come with any serious relationship, the music too experiences several "mood’ changes where the dancers suddenly switch into completely different movement phrases or style.  In Venn Duet, Barnett and Loret de Mola are excellent complements to each other. They lift each other with equal ease; they give nice counter intensity as each always tries to get in front of the other.  With Loret de Mola moving around the stage excitedly as a way of communicating her frustrations to her partner, the piece ends very powerful.

Naomi Goldberg Haas/Dances for a Variable Population closes out the Downtown Dance Festival’s Friday performance.  Haas’s vision is to make dances with diverse communities and professional dancers in the same setting.  Her goal is to bring dance back to the people and to show that anyone has the ability to dance no matter how old you are or what you look like.  For this performance, the dancers perform Excerpts from Fanfare which begins as a sort of jousting game during medieval times. The variable ages and abilities of the dancers is what really sticks out for me.  It is incredible to watch highly trained dancers performing with dancers who have had little to no training and with dancers who are much older.  A beautiful moment is when the dancers perform various duets between women of varied ages.  The eldest woman of the group leans and falls onto the shoulders and backs of three dancers who carry her back and forth with respectfulness and care.  So telling through their movement of their reverence for her… This is such a powerful moment.

The uniting factor among the five companies that I watched on Friday is that each company is accessible to a wide range of people.  Either through the music choices or the theme of the dances, it is apparent that everyone in the audience, from the kids on a camp field trip to the business men on their lunch breaks, that they all are having a blast watching the performance.

iDANZ Critix Corner
Official Dance Review by Amanda Keller
Performance:  Downtown Dance Festival, NYC
Choreographers: Jamal Jackson Dance Company,  isadoraNOW,  C3 Tap Co-operative, Stefanie Nelson Dance Group, Naomi Goldberg Haas/Dances For a Variable Population
Performance Date:  August 21, 2009 12-2pm
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