Separate and Together: Dances for a Pandemic Audience
A Dance Review by Julinda D. Lewis
At: The Richmond Ballet’s Canal Street Studios, 407 E. Canal Street, Richmond, VA 23219
Performances: October 13-25, 2020
Ticket Prices: In-Person Tickets: $26-$101; Virtual Tickets: $20/One-week access to recorded performance, only one ticket required per household
Info: (804) 344-0906 x224 or etix.com
It seems that recently isolation, loss, separation, togetherness, loneliness, and mental health issues have dominated many conversations on social media – where most conversations have, of necessity, occurred. So it, it comes as little surprise when some or all of these themes are reflected in our arts. The Richmond Ballet’s second Studio Series program for 2020/2021 focused on works that tackle separation and togetherness – some with more clarity and relevance than others.
The program includes two world premieres, one by the Richmond Ballet’s Artistic Associate and Ballet Master, Malcolm Burn, and one by local choreographer, teacher Starrene Foster, the founding Artistic Director of the Richmond-based modern dance company Starr Foster Dance.
Burn’s duet, “Another Time, A Different Rose,” pays homage to Michel Fokine’s classic “Le Spectre de la Rose” (made famous by Nijinsky, dressed in a rose-petal costume, leaping through a window at the end of the ballet). Burn used the same piano composition by Carl Maria von Weber, and dressed the male half of the duet, danced by Marty Davis on Saturday, in a simplified version of the rose-petal costume. (The one-shouldered, rose-colored body suit with its ruffled top may have been confusing if you didn’t know Davis was the Spirit of the Rose.) Naomi Wilson (who is in her first year as a company member, after two years dancing with Richmond Ballet II) danced the role of the Young Girl, but this duet is really a showpiece for the male dancer. Davis’ steps grew increasingly light-hearted as the fantasy developed, but there was no extravagant leap, and the piece is really too short to allow for extended development, so I felt a bit disappointed at the end, as if the Young Girl had awakened from her dream before the final climax.
Starr Foster – who knows I have often described the works she composes for her own company as dark, both physically and psychologically – created a new work, “Always a Way,” that explores the highs and lows of sheltering in place during a pandemic, with original music by Dave Watkins. Somewhat somber but not dark, the contemporary duet, danced by Cody Beaton and Trevor Davis, features weight sharing that manifests as lifts, planks, and hinges, and explores tension and resolution via intricate spirals. One brief but lingering expression occurred when Davis curved over Beaton, emanating warmth and protection.
The program included portions of the lighter-than-air romantic ballet “Pas de Trois from Swan Lake” (Nicholas Beriozoff after Marius Petipa), danced by Lauren Archer, Izabella Tokev, and Khaiyom Khojaev, Salvatore Aiello’s “The Waiting Room,” and Val Caniparoli’s “Djangology.” In “The Waiting Room,” there are three women, three chairs, and a light hanging from the ceiling. Set to the music of Arvo Part, the work explores the possibilities of the unknown and possible suggests there is no relief from the harshness of reality – not exactly what we want to hear right now, but thankfully, it is in the middle of the program. The program, which runs for under an hour, with no intermission – because, well, there’s still a pandemic – concluded with on an upbeat note with excerpts from Val Caniparolli’s sassy jazz-on-pointe ballet, “Djangology,” set to music by Romani-French jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt.
All together, this Studio Series was an interesting evening of dance that (a) was over all too soon and (b) for me, didn’t quite live up to the promise of the theme. I personally would have preferred three works that went a bit deeper rather than five works that allowed enough time for some to only scratch the surface. And finally, (c) it’s great to be back in a theater!
All photos by Sarah Ferguson:
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