Smuin Ballet
Dance Series One
Palace of Fine Arts, San
Francisco
October 3rd,
2015
A mixed repertory night
with multiple choreographic visions – one might expect such an evening to be varied
and diverse. It’s amazing how often that is not the case. Companies can settle
into a style, a signature, a manner, and despite differing choreography, things
end up looking much the same.
But then there are mixed
repertory programs that succeed in celebrating and embodying choreographic
breadth and diversity. Those where every moment is a delightful surprise. Smuin
Ballet’s Dance Series One is a prime example. A quartet of work ranging from
1981 to present day, every piece brought something new to the table, expertly
communicated by the company’s dedicated dance artists. Dance Series One is
about creativity, risk and gusto; bravi to the entire creative team.
The curtain rose to
reveal three couples in spotlights amidst a smoke-filled stage, Ma Cong’s French Twist. It felt like the opening
credits to a mystery, perfect for an October ballet. Quickly the dance
progressed into stylized movement – the kind that transcends the categories of
‘classical’ or ‘contemporary’. Specificity and articulation reigned in the
arms, feet, legs, hands, head and torso, like petit allegro was happening in
the entire body. Or sometimes, even a hint of puppetry or marionette-styled
vocabulary crept in. While French Twist
had different sections, there was a continuous feeling to it, devoid of stops
and starts. With one exception (the men’s costuming), it was a great start to
the night.
Next up was Michael
Smuin’s Bouquet, a beautifully
graceful yet technically challenging two-part composition. The dance begins
with a quartet for one woman and three men (at this performance, Erin
Yarbrough-Powell, Mengjun Chen, Dustin James and Jonathan Powell) and it has
some truly enchanting moments. A favorite is when Yarbrough-Powell was
suspended high in the air with her leg in a low arabesque. Some of the unison
turns did prove tricky, and while this particular chapter has an elegant
classical feel, it does look a little dated. Danced by Susan Roemer and Robert
Moore, Bouquet’s pas de deux didn’t
look dated at all; in fact, it stood out. Not just in this ballet, but in the
entire night. Touching and romantic, passionate and surprising, Roemer’s
metatarsals barely grazed the floor in a series of scooting arabesque lifts.
With devotion, Moore tenderly grasped Roemer’s foot and ankle while she
extended in penchée. They looked amazing together.
Choreographed by company
dancer Ben Needham-Wood, Maslow was one
of the two new works on the program. A ballet for a lead pair and a quintet, Maslow contemplated perception and
reality through the eyes of a title character, danced and interpreted by
Robert
Kretz. Little knowledge of the individual who inspired Maslow made the story (if there was a narrative through line) a
little difficult to discern. Having said that, Needham-Wood’s scene and setting
was very clear – this was the mind of a great thinker, someone fascinated with
imagination and the human psyche. The best part of Maslow was the choreography itself, a combination of ballet and
contemporary jazz, all underscored with a rare fluidity, almost a liquidness.
And in the primary role, Kretz was absolutely astounding.
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Pictured: Robert Kretz (center) and Terez Dean (back right) and the Smuin Company in Maslow Photo credit: Chris Hardy |
Choreographer-in-Residence
Amy Seiwert closed Dance Series One with her new ballet, Broken Open, the only piece on the program to feature the entire
company. This six-part composition pushed boundaries as only Seiwert can do, asking
what ballet is, what it looks like, what vocabulary it entails and what it can
be. As suggested by the title, Broken
Open, ‘broke open’ perceptions and expectations from start to finish. Grand
pliés in parallel sixth position, flexed feet in promenades, demi-pointe work
in pointe shoes and an abundance of second position (in lifts, in turns and in
poses). With a pattern of psychedelic paint splatters, Sandra Woodall’s
costumes evoked an earlier time, perhaps the 1970s/early 1980s. I really liked
the costumes, though their retro style mixed with the forward intention in the
choreography was a little puzzling.
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