Dancers seemingly lie dormant, fires burn, a multi-limbed creation, and athletic feats from a Barre to calypso-inspired rhythms is just a portion of the imagery demonstrated in Boston Ballet’s 60th season closer, Spring Experience. It embraces the eclectic and the unusual while ever bringing ballet to another level.
The Boston Ballet presents Spring Experience live and in person at the Citizens Bank Opera House in Boston, Massachusetts through Sunday, May 19. The production is approximately two hours and 15 minutes with two intermissions. Click here for more information and for tickets.
A suspenseful world premiere, a carefully orchestrated Barre experience fueled by James Blake’s innovative works, and a provocative fan favorite create an exceptionally curious and intense set of performances.
The Space Between builds a steady anticipation through its urgent and haunting piano-infused rhythms as dancers lie dormant or may be in sleeping state. As each dancer comes to life and two perform an elegant pas de deux, Choreographer Ken Ossola’s highlights the speed and agility of the dancers in a combination of freestyle and synchronized movements to horn-infused rhythms enclosed on a sloped and curved midnight blue landscape, part of Benjamin Phillips’s multi-color schemed set design brightened by Brandon Stirling Baker’s transformative headlights. Women dancers appear defiant as they prowl, jostle and swing with the push and pull of being navigated by men to the electronic hissing of Mischa Santora’s electronic rhythms. Adorned in Lisa Dezmelyk’s translucent costumes in floral and shimmering patterns, the group leaps and align together which includes María Álvarez, Lia Cirio, Chyrstyn Fentroy, Seo Hye Han, Abigail Merlis, Chisako Oga, Haley Schwan, Jeffrey Cirio, Tyson Ali Clark, Paul Craig, Daniel Durrett, John Lam, Daniel Rubin, Gearóid Solan, Schuyler Wijsen, and Patrick Yocum. The Space Between culminates into a grand finale with a new moving creation.
In Blake Works III (The Barre Project), the Barre highlights this performance steeped in synthetic vocal rhythms as María Álvarez , Graham Johns, Lia Cirio, Sangmin Lee, Ji Young Chae, Gearóid Solan, and Tyson Ali Clark showcase their contact with it. Simply staged with a black back drop and Barre, María Álvarez and Graham Johns perform a playful and lively pas de deux into lifts, twists, and tight leaps. William Forsythe’s urgent and slinky choreography navigate the zip, zing and hip hop tempo of James Blake’s catchy tunes showcasing each dancer’s athletic prowess gripping the Barre. A particular highlight is moving to the tender and haunting rhythms of James Blake’s romantic Lullaby for the Insomniac and 200 Press. Dancers demonstrate tight and urgent leaps in funky rhythms and at what point, letting the arms do the walking on the Barre at fascinating angles in an edgy and eclectic display.
The final piece is still one of the most unconventional performances the Sleepless Critic has ever witnessed with the Boston Ballet because after a brief intermission, the piece begins before the music starts and dancers are already in motion as the rehearsal blurs into the performance.
Jiří Kylián and Ken Ossola’s Bella Figura, a fan favorite, often departs from reality and the structure of how a performance would normally flow. In many ways, it bucks tradition as the dancers float and slide between closing curtains as one dancer, topless, wraps herself in only a black stage curtain. The curtain seems to have a mind of its own as it frames, shrinks, and chases the dancers. Bella Figura has some captivating choreographed indignation and intensity as Ji Young Chae struggles not to be held or controlled by Paul Craig, shaking Craig away. As fires burn, Bella Figura seems an abstract piece with haunting and mysterious elements as female dancers are manipulated in sharp, robotic movements. It seems Bella Figura represents the vision of a perfect female specimen as women bend under the intensity and pressure to be perfect. In gathering rich red skirts which is part of Joke Visser’s bold costume design, topless men and women looking the same glide along the stage. It is a memorable, distinctive performance as the piece continues even as the music concludes.
The Boston Ballet presents Spring Experience live and in person at the Boston Opera House in Boston, Massachusetts through Sunday, May 19. The production is approximately two hours and 15 minutes with two intermissions. Click here for more information and for tickets.