To Be Young

Went to one of the best concerts I've ever seen on Sunday night at the Tin Angel. Adrienne Young Performed with Little Sadie (or at least part of them). It was one of those rare "authentic experience" concerts, minus the performer arrogance.

The Tin Angel is a great venue. I'd estimate there were only about 25 or 30 people in the audience, and it was full, so it put you in a very intimate space with the performer. The staff weren't super friendly. However, that may have been because I snuck in a giant cup of soup and proceeded to slurp it and crunch on my saltines with relish, despite the fact that there was a restaurant downstairs. They book a lot of great artists, though, and the musical experience is so personal that I wouldn't care if the staff members spat in my general direction - I'd still go.

I discovered Adrienne Young at the Bethlehem Music Fest this summer with my Dad, while waiting for the Moody Blues to go on. Adrienne totally trumped the Moody Blues, and that's saying a lot, because they put on a good show. She's a folk/country/singer-songwriter, but don't let that turn you off. She's the real deal. Adrienne takes the American folk music tradition to a new level.

Sunday night she was in great form. Adrienne is naturally very relaxed and good-natured, but I was amazed that she maintained her composure under the circumstances. All of the members of her band, Little Sadie, had food poisoning, and only one of them - Oliver the fiddler - was able to perform. Despite his ailment, Oliver came through, and the two of them put on a fanatastic show.

They opened with Adrienne's cover of "Free Man in Paris" and maintained a genuinely witty banter between all of the following songs. "Natural Bridge" (which some of you may recognize from XPN) and "Art of Virtue" were particularly on, but nothing was off. Oliver even played some of his own originals. His rough, natural voice, complimented Adrienne's melodic lilt well. And let me tell you, these guys can play. I could barely sit still during Oliver's fiddle solos, and Adrienne's fingers positively flew on the banjo.

After playing about half of their set, in a surprise move, Adrienne invited Oliver's parents onstage. He's from Lancaster, so half of the audience was made up of his rowdy relatives. Oliver grew up in a family where everyone is musical, so his parents hopped onstage without reservation to fill in for the missing band members. The freshness and energy of their sound may have been due in part to the fact that the four of them had never played as a group before. It was, as Adrienne said, "off the cuff." One person would call out the name of a folk song and, if the others knew it, they would play it. Amazing to be able to play that well together on the spot.

I hardly wanted the show to end, but it was almost worth it when afterwards I was able to meet Adrienne. She complimented my outfit (which, consequently, I will probably never take off), and I told her that her sound reminded me of the Scottish folk scene. She recommended a Scottish book series to me and gave me a big hug. Her down-to-earth stage persona is clearly not an act, because she wasn't intimidating in the least.

To check out Adrienne's music, go to her website - http://www.adrienneyoung.com/. She'll be playing in State College at the Sustainable Agriculture Conference on February 2nd (because she has an equally impressive conscious to go with her voice). Also, I may just be roadtripping it down to West Virginia on January 26th to see her play at the Purple Fiddle, where I hear that the fiddlers have to work extra hard to keep up with the dancers. Sounds like my kind of place.

Still Crackin'

Pennsylvannia Ballet's newly redesigned Nutracker: go see it. I know George Balanchine's The Nutcracker has developed a reputation for being cliche and trite. Balletophiles the world over cringe come holiday season when the normally reserved, elite ballet audience is inundated with out-of-towners and three-year-olds. But to all of you I say lower your high-held noses. The Nutcracker is important for two reasons. First, it brings in the majority of the campany's revenue so that for the rest of the year they can do more unusual performances, like Company B and Carnival of Animals (Tanya Barrientos, take note). Secondly, and most importantly, it's a pretty damn good ballet.

This year The Nutcracker got a makeover, and it's about time. They've been using the same costumes and sets for as long as I can remember. This new vision is gorgeous. The set is a federal style mansion, and the costumes are exquisite. Throughout the entire first act (which is a little sparse on the dancing) I kept leaning over to my Mom and whispering, "Just look at the growns!" The puffed sleaves and jewels are enough to make Scarlett O'Hara jealous. And the tree that grows to life-size is delightful. It never gets old. When I was younger I just couldn't understand how they could make it grow. Now I can, but my amazement is still unceasing at every performance. I particularly enjoyed the artistic choice to turn the set into a conservatory when the tree grew. Then when Maria and the Nutcracker Prince go into the snow scene at the end of Act One, it's as if they simply opened the door of the conservatory and walked out into the woods. Very clever. And of course, the dance of the Snowflakes was beautiful.

My favorite soloist, James Ihde, was present in the cast, looking very dapper as Dr. Stahlbaum. My Mom agrees that he's a dish. Although we had no personal encounters this time, he was clearly making eyes at me during the soldier dance. And how they smoldered.

Act Two is when the real dancing begins. I was suprised this time around that my favorite parts of the performance changed. That's why it's always worth it to see a ballet more than once - every cast makes it new. The most new aspect was the Candy Canes. The costumes were so different! They almost looked Turkish. They made the choreography seem new, too. It was much sharper and livelier than I remembered. Joaquin Crespo Lopes added lots of pizazz as the soloist, complete with rakish turbin.

Possibly the biggest suprise of the night was Brooke Moore as the Dewdrop. I can honestly say that I had never noticed her before, but last night she was amazing. Her technical prowess is obvious, but she also was full of life. It's hard to find that combination in a dancer. Usually it's passion or technique, but Moore has both. I look forward to seeing more from her.

Amy Aldridge danced the Sugarplum Fairy, and she never disappoints. I could spot her a mile away just by her stage smile, which never falters, and I can't help but find amusing. Her Cavalier was principal Sergio Torrado, another looker. He is the epitomy of the rippling-muscled Spanish artist-athlete. Aldridge and Torrado were well-paired and put together a fantastic finish. Their energy was through the roof and really brought the performance to a crescendo. There was one misstep towards the end, however. Torrado was executing a series of fouetté turns and the audience was loving it - he had them. But he got overexcited at the response and let the momentum get away from him. Set to land on one knee, he did, but then he lost his balance and tumbled a little. His recovery was quick, however, and I don't even know if everyone noticed.

Now, I have a message for you, Sergio, because I know you read my blog. Don't beat yourself up. You gave an amazing performance, and getting overexcited is hardly a flaw. If passion is the sign of an artist, than you're a star. Also, please call me.

Of course, the final piece, which combines all the dancers of the second act, is thrilling. Even though I've seen The Nutcracker many times before, I still get caught up in the magic of the second act and find myself wanting more when it's finished. If anyone else would like to go see it, I wouldn't mind attending again.

Non-Elitist Indie

No, that title is not an oxymoron. I dabble in the Indie scene myself, but God help me if I know the first names of any of the band members - let alone their last names - so I'm hardly hardcore. At the North Star Bar, however, I recently discovered an indie band that I could really get into.

They're called Holly Billaday (http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=179313701), which would have taken the award for best band name if the Tupper Werewolves weren't playing the same night. My friend Leah knows one of the band members, Pete. They're all Temple students and they seem very down-to-earth. Personalities aside, though, this band is worth a listen. They combine rock with old school big band influence. I especially loved "Loaded on Sunday." It made me feel like I was in New Orleans. The brass sound absolutely makes their music. The lead singer is also charmingly awkward. He wears 80s-style shades on stage not because he's too cool for school, but because he gets stage fright. He looks like a doppelganger for Ferris Bueller. Needless to say, Holly Billaday is worth a listen. Their next show is January 10th at the Millcreek Tavern.

Also, I would like to add that the North Star Bar (http://www.northstarbar.com/) in Brewerytown is an exceptionally great place to hear local music. It's a bit of a dive, but who doesn't love dives? There aren't many places anymore where you can hear four bands for eight bucks, and no one even hastles you to buy more drinks, but this is one of them. Check out their upcoming shows on their website.

Blues, Beer, and Baroque

So I've been on sebbatical, but I'm back in the pink. Here are my recs from the past week.

My flatmate, Erin, had a great gig on Wednesday at the Mansion. She performed with the band formerly known as At Last (don't ask). I won't even pretend to be objective because I'm so proud of my Boo - move over stage moms. Still, I think anyone would admit that Erin's cover of Amy Winehouse's "I'm No Good" was a great opener, and her version of Jarabe dePalo's "La Flaca" was sung with just the right feeling. Our friend Andre, also known as Boy Wonder (again, don't ask), headlined, and as usual he brought a lot of personality to the stage. Both Erin and Andre will be singing again at World Cafe on December 23rd. I'd definitely recommend checking them out.

Later that night, in celebration, Erin and I went with some friends to the recently opened Belgian Cafe in our neighborhood. Now, I am not a beer lass, but even I enjoy the excellent libations at this joint. It has a great atmosphere - classy but still very relaxed. And may I just say that the bartenders are extremely goodlooking. And friendly. Aw-rite. One gripe is that it's a bit pricey. Again, may I recommend that you make friends with the bartenders.

Finally, I would like to put a word in for the fabulous Philadelphia Baroque group, Philomel. The parents of my friend Julietta comprise two of the group's members, so I was able to see their performance last night at Carpenter's Hall. It was amazing! To see a performance like that in such a space was a real pleasure. The music really put me in a trance, so that I felt like I was transported back in time. I particularly enjoyed Elissa Berardi's and Sandra Miller's flute duet in Lavaux's Sonata Sesta in G major, but the real coups of the evening was the concluding piece. Bruce Bekker explained before the song that it was a piece of religious music played in the French court during Christmas time. We all expected something quiet somber or at least pious, but instead were met with a Middle Eastern medley. It was supposed to represent the shepherds at the manger scene, and boy did they seem like some riotous guys. I thought it was very clever to end the evening with such an unexpected piece.

I'm in the throws of finals this week, but I will not stay away again for long. There definitely will be plenty to write up over the holiday season. I'm particularly looking forward to the newly choreographed (it's about time) Nutcracker this weekend. Perhaps my own dear friend soloist James (wouldn't you say we're friends after our last encounter?) will grace us with his presence once again. One can only hope.

When Refusing to Grow Up is Cool

As promised, here is my review of Walnut's Peter Pan, fresh off the presses:

On Saturday I regressed about 12 years in the span of an afternoon. The catalyst? Walnut Street Theater’s new production of Peter Pan. It can make an audience member go from 21 to 9 in a matter of minutes.

From the opening curtain, the Walnut Street Theater’s production is delightful. Each act begins with a silk screen painted with a map of the various settings of the play. Tinkerbelle, represented by a red laser light, identifies the present location before the scene commences.

The first act begins with a family scene in the nursery, when Mr. and Mrs. Darling are getting ready to go out to dinner. Mr. Darling is grouchy and frets about both his appearance and his business. Years ago, I was in a production of Peter Pan myself (I made several children cry with my convincing “Arghhh”), but I had forgotten how in the opening Mr. Darling is the villain of the family. In a very oedipal move, the same actor who plays Mr. Darling, Paul Schoeffler, also plays Captain Hook.

The real action of play begins with the arrival of Cary Michelle Miller on the scene as Peter Pan, who of course has lost his shadow. I saw Miller in a very different role in the Walnut’s spring production of Carousel, and I must say she is unrecognizable as Peter. I have always had a problem with the fact that Peter is played by a woman (aren’t there any high-toned, short male actors out there who could suffice?), but Miller changed my mind. She brings such boyish pluck and bravado to the role that I found myself forgetting that she was a woman at all.

The Darling children are all sweet, but the youngest, Michael, played by Conor O’Brien, stood out. O’Brien has great comedic timing and a very strong, clear voice for a young actor.

When Peter decides to take Wendy, John, and Michael to Neverland, the flying commences. All of the flying actors maintain their lightheartedness, so that the act of flying seems effortless, and is very impressive. As the Darling children learn to fly, the Victorian nursery set slowly disappears piece by piece, leaving them suspended against the London nighttime sky. The audience was clearly captivated.

The second act was even more fun than the first, because here the pirates, Indians, and lost boys are introduced. Director Marc Robin made an excellent choice in mingling both children and boyish-looking adult actors together to comprise the lost boys. Schoeffler is in his element as the ornery Captain Hook, and I laughed out look at his thinking sessions, inspired by various types of pirate dancing. Toni Elizabeth White gave a great supporting performance, as well, as the majestic Tiger Lily, and her dance prowess stood out.

Probably the best scene in the play is the extended celebration between the Indians and the lost boys after they decide to become allies. The dancing must go on for twenty minutes, and these performers are skilled. The Indians did back flips and high kicks, the boy used props to create music in a stomp-like style. There is even a long hand slapping performance that is impressive for sheer memory alone.

I also especially enjoyed the choice of crocodile portrayal the director employed for the third act. This crocodile looks like it came from hell. Godzilla’s got nothing on him.

Another aspect of the play I had forgotten is the ending, which is somewhat eclipsed in most versions of the story by all of the fun in Neverland. The Darling children (accompanied by some friends) return to their family’s house to remain, and Peter promises he’ll come get Wendy to help with his spring cleaning every year. When he returns, Wendy is completely grown with children of her own and can’t go with him. Peter is visibly distressed by the prospect of an adult Wendy, but the play tries to compensate by having Peter take Wendy’s daughter with him instead. It really doesn’t help, because the ending still leaves the audience uncomfortable with the idea of lost youth and adult responsibility.

The Walnut production recognizes the anti-climatic ending, so during the bows they added a few extras to lift the mood. Peter actually flies out into the audience and throws confetti (this close to my face, I swear), and the cast also reprises the slap-dancing scene, with the humor of added characters like Nana and Smee.

I rarely give recommendations this high, but this performance shouldn’t be missed. It’s so much fun that it put me in a good mood for days. I even put aside my pride and approached some cast members who I saw in Starbucks the next day just to tell them how much I enjoyed the performance. Because really, who doesn’t like pirates and fairies?

Peter Pan runs through January 6th at the Walnut Street Theater (http://www.walnutstreettheatre.org/). Persons under the age of 24 can purchase a youth ticket the day of the performance.

You'll Never Look at Gingerbread the Same Way

Attended the Opera Company of Philadelphia's Hansel und Gretel on Wednesday night. So good! It was almost like The Nutcracker in it's otherworldly feel. Engelbert Humperdinck's composition is light and catching. It has a very quaint feel, and I am always fond of country scenes (can't keep my feet still during a mazurka). The plot isn't quite the dark original Brothers Grimm tale, but in this diverting show its nice to have a more lighthearted feel.

Gretel and Hansel, played by Maureen McKay and Lauren Curnow, respectively, were perfectly childlike in their roles, with dead-on mannerisms. Their voices were on par and they kept the mood of the piece fun. Michael Mayes was also very good as their father, Peter, and his voice was very powerful.

Despite the capability of the performers, however, they were overshadowed by the real stars of the show - the scenery and sets. Maurice Sendak, illustrater of the classic children's book Where the Wild Things Are, designed both, and they absolutely make the performance. All the backdrops, scenery, and props are created and painted in his distinctive style and they add the perfect fairy tale feel. Even if you don't like opera, this performance is worth it just to see the set.

Portraiture

Friday night was the official Philadelphia premiere of Portraits of Sari, a new film directed by University of the Arts student Dan Magro. Apparently, some college students find the time to produce feature length films in their spare time. Cue feelings of inadequecy. To boot, the budget of Magro's film was only $5000 dollars, and you would never know it with the results.

Portraits premiered the film to a full house at Gershwinn Hall on the Avenue of the Arts. Portraits of Sari is a coming of age / romantic comedy about students in their first year of art school. The main character, Steven, has an overinvolved mother who inflates his ego and pushes him to succeed at painting. She sets her sights on the university's highly competetive art competition for her son. But Steven's main competetion is Sari, a beuatiful and talented scholarship student. As you can imagine, they butt heads, but sparks also fly. Steven must decide if he will succumb to his mother's proddings or follow his own desires.

The actors (most with limited experience) performed with mixed results. Susan Hoare was appropriately formidable as Steven's mother, and Aleks Krutainis garnered laughs as Steven's flamboyant roommate. Some of the supporting actors, however, were a bit over the top. In the lead, Ryan Windish made for wonderful eye candy, but his acting fell flat. Kristen Hermes as Sari, too, seemed unnatural at moments.

One of the significant hitches in the films was the writing. The scipt seemed torn between a traditional romantic comedy and an absurdist look at art school life. Since the writing did not commit to either, the film was left in a strange limbo. I personally would have preferred a full-on satire of art school, because those were the moments when the film was strongest.

Portraits' greateast strength was the way it was filmed. Magro used very creative camera angles, especially during the yoga class scenes. The settings, too, were lovely. Perhaps my favorite part of the film was the opening credits, which were very unique and entertaining. Magro's love for film truely came across in his unique filming style.

All in all, the contributers to Portraits of Sari should be proud of themselves. They used limited resources to create an impressive feature length film. And you can be sure we'll be hearing much more from Magro in the future. To check out the trailor visit http://www.portraitsfilm.com/.

West Side - Strong Side

Visited the Westin Hotel for their Sessions after reading the write-up in the Inquirer. Erin, my roommate, and I were expecting somewhat stuffy jazz (which is nice every once and a while) and a pretty upscale environment. What we got was indie ballads and a very upscale environment. Quite a juxtaposition. I clearly did not realize what a nice hotel the Westin is because when we entered the lobby I simply gaped and then kept touching the fabulous flowers to see if they were real. The great thing about the Westin, though, is that the staff is not at all snobby. They treated Erin and me with the same attentiveness that they used with hoity toity guests and were very friendly. The organizer, Eric, even went out of his way to introduce himself to us and follow up to see how we enjoyed the music.

The lounge is very cozy with plush chairs and a small bar. Erin and I both tried the bartender, Mandy's, hot apple cider with spiced rum. It hit the spot. The performer, Lance Davis, was amazing. He sat on a bar stool in the corner of the room, strummed his guitar, and sang loneliness into us. His scruffy look and wild hair did not appear very "Westin," and many of the subjects of his songs were definitively anti-Westin (a.k.a. anti-capitalist), but I sure as hell didn't have a problem with it because I could appreciate the irony. His voice was perfect and haunting. His performance made me a little sad, in a bittersweet, nostalgic way.

All around the evening was a great diversion. The drinks were pricy, but there was no pressure to buy more than one and there was no cover for the great music. To check out the upcoming performers go to http://www.curvedominant.com/. The Sessions take place every Wednesday and Friday night from 6-8 pm in the Westin Lounge. Ask for the Lanky Mandy Martini. You won't be sorry.

With a Twist

Now this isn't an event, but I just have to plug this new radio station. Martini Lounge at 1340 AM is probably the best new station to come out in Philadelphia in years. I know few people even bother with the AM dial anymore, but this is reason enough. Martini Lounge plays all the old singers like Peggy Lee, Bobby Darin, and Frank Sinatra. But what makes this station even more appealing is that they also mix in new crooners like Jamie Cullem and Michael Buble. I've been listening to it for about a month now (which is about as long the station's been around) and I've never heard I song I don't like. It's the perfect having-a-glass-of-wine-while-making-dinner station, and great background music for dining, too. The station doesn't have a lot of DJ talk, either, which I hate. On NPR you can talk, but on a music station just play some tunes! (Don't even get me started on Free Beer and Hotwings.) The only drawback to Martini Lounge is that they have frequent commercial breaks, but it's probably because they're just starting out and need to repeat ads often to make up for the small quantity of advertisers. Anyone who likes cleverly-worded retro music will love this station. Listen to Martini Lounge and maybe Philadelphia can finally maintain a good music station!

Winded

The Imani Winds performance at the Seaport Museum last night was an experience. This group merges classical talent with sass for a really fun performance. Their relaxed attitude was very refreshing. Valerie Coleman, the flautist, spoke freestyle to the audience as if it were a private performance, and all the musicians laughed and joked amongst themselves and with the audience. Horn player Jeff Scott even gallantly demonstrated different rhythms for us so that we could understand the process of composition.

Each piece was very well done (these musicians are clearly gifted), but the culmination was Coleman's Afro-Cuban composition. Nobody could sit still during the piece - the body just had to move to the rhythm. I honestly couldn't believe people weren't dancing in the aisles.

Although the focus of the performance was the music, attention must be paid to the absolutely stunning attire of the Imani women. I don't know if they have their dresses made just for them, but they looked as if they couldn't have been more perfectly tailored, and they were gorgeous. I practically salivated at Clarinetist Mariam Adam's scarlet number with canary yellow hemline. Poor Jeff was overshadowed in his ordinary tux, because not only do these women have talent, but they have style.

Into Slumber

Went to the Temple University production of Into the Woods last night, and met with disappointment. This was one of those styles of production I've experienced many times before - caapable cast, terrible plot. I'd never seen Into the Woods before last night, but I knew it was a modern twist on traditional fairy tales. I was pretty stoked because I took a class on fairy tales and their social constructs and I was hoping the play would address those issues. Not so.

The show opened with a professor teaching a lecture on fairy tales, and the stage was set with blackboards filled with academic jibberish about magic realism. It looked promising, but as soon as the action entered into the fairytale world it went downhill. The plot intermingles more fairy tale stories than anyone can stomache in one night without actually developing any of them sufficiently. I was extremely disappointed with the story. I'm a fan of old movies, too, with full five minute scenes of people simply driving in a car, so my boredom says a lot.

The first act is very long, so long in fact that I thought it was the entire performance. The plot (little that there is) is tied up neatly at the end of the act so that most of the audience members were unsure as to whether or not they should leave. The second act is so redundant that I actually fell asleep (again, this is probably a reflection of my limited slumber the night before). The writing is also an odd mixture or cheesiness with the darker aspects of fairy tales. Most of the performance is cheesy, but then a few dark bits, like the evil stepsisters having their eyes pecked out and the Baker's wife sleeping with the prince, are slipped in. It's not enough for the play to examine these darker elements, so they really just appear awkward and completely out of place.

The band was very good, and the singing was on point. I simply found most of the characters dull or annoying. There were a few exceptions, however. Sean Thompson as the wolf, of Little Red Riding Hood, was excellent in act one, although his appearance was brief. He merged physical hunger with sexual appetite seemlessly when he sang about Red Riding Hood, and I've rarely seen anyone pull off leather pants quite so well. The princes, too, handled the comic turn of their vain, philandering characters quite well, especially LJ Norelli when he simulated climbing Rapunzel's hair.

The standout performance of the show, however, was clearly Da'vine Joy Randolph as the Witch. the audience visibly perked when she came on stage. Both her speaking and her singing voices were extremely powerful and her presence was so strong that she almost dwarfed the other actors. She clearly has a career ahead of her.

My recommendation for Into the Woods: unless you're into extreme cheesiness and find actual plots difficult to follow, it's a miss. You're better off picking up a copy of the Brothers Grimm.

The X Factor

Last night I attended the opening night of Ballet X's performance in their new home at the Wilma Theater. My friend Leah was reviewing the show for the paper and we consequently were invited to the pre-premiere cocktail hour, replete with schmoozing patrons and choreographers. We immediately made friends with the wine distributer who refilled our glasses unasked throughout the night. Matthew Neenan and Christine Cox made an announcement thanking everyone for their support and pointed out the guest choreographer, Adam Hougland from Californina, standing right next to our table. Leah sidled up to him and began asking him about his piece, which he said was very abstract. The only morsel he would allow was that he instructed the dancers to think of what it would be like for a couple to lose a child and how that would change their relationship.

There were three pieces in the show. The first, choreographed by Neenan, appealed to me for it's combination of traditional ballet with an unexpected element. The classical music was beautiful and the lighting soft. The dancers incorporated perfect form with contrasting movements. It reminded me of Harlem Renaisance poetry, with the movements strung together in as unique a sequence as Hughes' words.

I must confess that during the second piece, choreographed by Cox, I was not as alert as I would've liked to have been, but it was hardly a reflection of the performance (more likely my five hours of sleep the night before). Cox's choreography focused on relationships - heterosexual and homosexual. I particularly enjoyed dancer Emily Wagner's jealous glares during the love triangle part. Cox's choice of Bjork music, too, was a very good fit.

Hougland's final piece, however, was the culmination. The dancers took the stage, seemingly struggling to run in slow motion. When Heidi Cruz-Austin and Meredith Rainey danced as the grief-stricken parents I couldn't take my eyes off of them. Both exceptional dancers, they conveyed absolutely both the repulsion and the need for comfort that spouses feel for each other after they lose a child. Aftet this piece the company received a standing ovation.

I am a Ballet X convert. They combine the classical technique with an edginess unexplored by most traditional ballet companies. And these company members are athletes to the corps. I could see their muscles rippling from my seat.

After the performance I had an even better treat - my favorite soloist from the PA Ballet was in the audience and I got to meet him. Of course I got starstruck and shied away at first, but I finally approached James Ihde, a dancer I've admired since I was about twelve and told him how much I had enjoyed his last performance. He was very gracious and approachable, thereby making my night even better.

My experience last evening only proves that those who think ballet is a sterile thing of the past are wrong. Ballet is far from obsolete. It's reshaping for the future, and Ballet X is giving audience members a prequel.