Joffrey Ballet
Valerie Madonia and Daniel Baudendistel
of the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago.
From Prince to
Pilobolus, program’s
hot! hot! hot!
Joffrey takes on
By John Berger
less-than-traditional ballet fare
Special to the Star-BulletinWHEN the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago played Honolulu in 1994 it was touring its 1993 production of "Billboards" -- a full-length, four-act "rock ballet" set to the music of Prince Rogers Nelson aka Unpronounceable Hieroglyphic aka The Artist Formerly Known As. Joffrey founder/artistic director Gerald Arpino now uses the first elements of that production as the opening number in the company's return engagement. Even when seen for the second or third time the magic and sense of wonder are still there. Yes, not all ballet involves the music of Dead White European Males! Yes, ballet does not begin and end with "Nutcracker" despite the ubiquitousness of that one work in the repertoire of Hawaii's ballet groups!
"Sometimes It Snows in April" wasn't a hit for The Artist, but it's a powerful number here. The dancers wear white -- flowing skirts for the women, loose-fitting trousers for the men. The discipline and precision of traditional European and American ballet is apparent. So is the vibrant passion and soul of The Artist. Yes, these are the dancers of the Joffrey Ballet rather than some self-styled "street dance" crew with a trendy name, but do they feel the funk? Believe it!
The cross-cultural fusion achieves fission as Laura Dean's choreography throws the ensemble into an explosive journey through "Trust" and "Baby I'm a Star." They're hot, hot, hot!
Yes, this isn't the umpteenth annual by-the-numbers recycling of "Nutcracker" and bravo for that!
Applause and cheers welcomed a number of spectacular solo performances during "Snows." The opening night crowd also responded enthusiastically to feats of solo excellence in the final number of the program, "Light Rain."
The most divergent piece will be familiar to fans of the innovative Pilobolus company -- a group that explores the visual possibilities of the human form in striking and unconventional ways. "Untitled," seen here when Pilobolus played the Blaisdell in the early 1990s is a dark and challenging piece in which two giant women appear to use, abuse and possibly destroy men. The giantesses are created by couples, each composed of a fully dressed woman in long skirt who's standing on the shoulders of a nearly naked man. The giantesses appear to grow and shrink in size. They also appear to sit, recline in rocking chairs and give birth. They also meet and eventually vanquish two fully clothed men.
The illusions are striking. The towering figures are simultaneously natural and oddly sinister. Are the men lovers or spawn or past victims? It's hard to tell. The acting skills of Jill Davidson and Julie Janus coupled with the physical prowess of Alfonso Zybin, Davis Robinson, Sam Franke and Gregory Russell made "Untitled" a theatrical highlight last night.
Lorena Feijoo and David Paul Kierce likewise stood out as the leads in "Round of Angels," one of two pieces in the show choreographed by Arpino. Whereas some cobble together routines based on the bump-and-grind motions of booti music, Arpino and his dancers gracefully take eroticism to a spiritual level. The application of fluid power, synchronization, strength and precision is memorable throughout.
The program presents striking celebrations of the potential of contemporary American dance. Anyone with an interest in ballet or "street" or jazz or whatever should see this show. Anyone who doesn't like "ballet" should see it, too. Choreographers , go twice!
Diversity in dance
What: The Joffrey Ballet
John Berger has covered the local entertainment scene since 1972.
