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.
