July 11-13, 2008
The Valley’s new dance company Novaballet made a grand entrance onto the Arizona stage with their premiere presentation, Concert One, at Tempe Center for the Arts. From the start, it was apparent that Novaballet is not your average ballet company. From the promotional imagery to the choreography to the collaborative structure of the company itself (each piece is led by a different principal, rather than under the direction of a company artistic director), refreshing alternatives were successfully employed and many obstacles overcome in the presentation of a generally inspired and thought provoking show.
Rumor has it that Novaballet put the concert together on a shoestring budget, yet the group, which "emphasizes contemporary choreography and a global outlook" proved that it is possible to make and show high quality ballet on a tight budget in this city. In my not-so-humble opinion, most of the show was worthy of any concert hall in the U.S, especially “Inner Moves” by James Jeon, and Robert Dekkers’ world premiere, “Another.” James Jeon’s “Inner Moves” was a wise choice for the opening of the show. Originally premiered in Las Vegas, Nevada in 2002, “Inner Moves” featured segments of choreography in silence effectively framed with dramatic down-lighting. Captivating and elegant, “Inner Moves” featured original music composed especially for the piece. The movement was executed both with and without pointe shoes, employing some classic ballet vocabulary uniquely blended with abstract accents and traditional Asian movement styles. The work had no weak links, no dead spots and never felt recycled. The partnering was inventive, unusual, and the technically superb dancers shone brightly. When the piece ended, I had nothing negative to comment on and was hugely exited for the rest of the show; James Jeon’s diverse background and choreographic skill are immediately evident in his work. Jeon was born in Korea, studied at Julliard and previously worked with several notable companies including Maurice Bejart’s 20th Century Ballet, Universal Ballet Company and the National Ballet of Korea. He is the cofounder of the Seoul Ballet Theater and is the current Resident Choreographer and Assistant Artistic Director. The valley is extremely fortunate to have direct access to Mr. Jeon’s talents. Jeon’s choice to present sections of the work without accompanying sound gently established Dance as the primary art form of the evening. This choice to put the choreography first may seem a given for concerts where ballet is the subject, but this relationship is often ignored in the world of ballet.
Robert Dekkers’ world premiere piece, “AnOther” was stylistically the most progressive work in the show. Heavily rooted in modern dance, the piece was performed by barefoot dancers refreshingly fluent with the modern vocabulary; they never looked like ballet dancers attempting modern dance. Dekkers’ movement incorporated lots of contractions, physical contact with the floor, parallel-oriented positions and pedestrian walks across stage. The women performed with hair flowing long in leotards without tights, the men wore tights and were bare-chested. The accompanying piano music was performed live by the composer, placed onstage with the dancers. Dekkers employs a sophisticated sense of time and music as a choreographer. “AnOther” is evocative, alluring and showed the company’s diverse range in the context of the show.
Vincente Nebrada’s, “Our Waltzes” also incorporated live piano music on stage, but in a more traditional frame. The piece was premiered in Bogota, Colombia in 1976 and paid reverence to more traditional movement styles with unique tango-based snapshots peppered throughout. The dancers partnered each other effortlessly, Paola Hartley sparkling and vibrant. Nebrada’s work is hardly new or contemporary now, but was a nice historical landmark when placed amid more recent choreography.
Yanis Pikeris and David Palmer’s “Adiemus” first premiered in Miami in 1998. This spectacle was neither contemporary nor new in 1998, nor would it have been even twenty years earlier. Heavy on emoting, ballet runs and bourrées, this piece was a big disappointment as the show’s grand finale. The musical selection would have made a great addition to Disney’s Lion King soundtrack, sounding dated and over-produced.
Which brings me back to the topic of the subjugated relationship of dance to music.Though dance in traditional ballet must indeed follow a musical score (Tchaikovsky isn’t going to take input from a choreographer under advisement), the reign of the orchestra over the stage ended awhile ago. Unfortuneately, in “Adiemus,” lines of frontal-facing dancers performed generic choreography in lock step to the music, while grinning--a tiresome reminder of what we are accustomed to seeing from ballet companies anywhere in the country at any point in the last thirty years. Perhaps the piece was meant to be retro. Furthermore, the recorded music skipped so badly on Saturday night that the curtain was partially lowered and the piece had to be re-started from the beginning following a lengthy pause. The expert dancers--many of whom are also in Ballet Arizona--gave it their all, but the piece was disastrous and failed to do justice to Concert One.
Novaballet’s dancers are indeed top-notch performers: beautiful, strong and technically superb. The lighting and costuming choices for Concert One were effective yet simple throughout the show, and any decisions to cut costs were not evident to the audience. Novaballet seems to have all the ingredients necessary to easily become one of the best ballet companies in the country. Let’s hope this talented group gets the support they need to produce decades of dance in Phoenix.
review.gif){kind=small}
